ANTENATAL SCREENING OF WOMEN FOR GENETIC RISK

Kulkarni M. L, Patil S. A

J. J. M. Medical College, Davangere, India

 

Objectives: To explore the burden of genetic risk among pregnant women attending an antenatal clinic attached to major teaching hospital in Davangere, Karnataka, India.

Method: 1500 consecutive pregnant women attending the antenatal clinics attached to our teaching hospitals were studied using a pretested oral questionnaire. Detailed history regarding maternal age, parental consanguinity, maternal illness, pregnancy associated complications, family history of genetic disorders including various congenital malformations, previous obstetric performance with particular emphasis on pregnancy loss was enquired into. A four-generation pedigree chart was drawn in all cases to get a better insight, regarding genetic disorders.

Result: 54.9% of the study population had one or more genetic risks, 6.3% were elderly primies (³ 35 years), 22.5% were consanguineously married, 20.9% had an exposure to passive smoking. 0.93% of mothers had given birth to a child with malformations in previous pregnancies, family history of congenital malformation in 0.4% of cases, 2.6% had three or more spontaneous abortions and 0.5% had diabetes mellitus.

Conclusion: In view of this large hidden risk of genetic disorders among the pregnant women attending the antenatal clinics, we recommend routine USG at 20 weeks for congenital anomalies, TORCH screening, triple test for screening Down syndrome and carrier detection for thalassaemia.

 

 
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