Screening Through the Life Course

Genes In Life strives to put genetics into context whether you have experienced genetic testing, are looking into seeing a genetic counselor, or just curious about the role genetics plays in your health. For our upcoming spotlight, Genes in Life will be covering the different types of genetic screening that one might encounter throughout the life course. Through the end of March, the Genes In Life Blog will cover newborn screening, pediatric screening, and cascade screening.

Newborn screening is the process by which newborn babies born in the United States are tested for a variety of rare but serious conditions before they even leave the hospital. Learn more about what is screened for and how the process of screening works.

Pediatric genetic screening is frequently used when a child is not meeting typical developmental milestones. This can happen for a variety of different reasons and with a number of different conditions. Keep coming back to learn more about the process of pediatric screening and the role that family health history can play.

Cascade screening is the process of screening the family members of an individual who has been diagnosed with one of three tier one genetic conditions: Lynch syndrome, familial hypercholesterolemia, or hereditary breast and ovarian cancer. Because we’re talking about genetic conditions that are passed through the generations, early intervention with family members of an individual with one of these conditions can improve outcomes and save lives.

If you have any questions as we go through this spotlight, please ask them to our featured experts on whole genome sequencing on our Ask the Experts page.