The incidence of hereditary disease in man.

The nursing role in the delivery of genetic services

“…Recent pediatric and adult morbidity and mortality statistics reflect the burden of genetic conditions on industrialized societies. Estimates show that from 2 to 25 percent of inpatient and outpatient diagnoses have an identified genetic component (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7). This is probably a conservative estimate in view of the genetic component of such disorders as schizophrenia, atherosclerosis, diabetes mellitus, mental retardation, early senility, and congenital malformations (8).…”