Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By richards on August 25, 2015

Providing support through education and genetic counseling is central to the mission of the Center for Jewish Genetics. With the knowledge gained through carrier screening, individuals are better prepared to make informed decisions for themselves and their future family.

The Center currently screens for 19 disorders found most frequently in Ashkenazi Jews of Central and Eastern European descent Jews. Many of these disorders are serious and can be debilitating and life-shortening. But with proper knowledge and genetic counseling, they can be prevented.

In addition to the 19 disorders linked to Ashkenazi heritage, the Centers screening panel includes more than 60 other common genetic disorders, plus Fragile X. Our genetic counselor is available at every step of the screening process to make sure that all of your questions and concerns are addressed.

This screening process is called carrier screening. Carriers are healthy adults who have the genetic mutation that can potentially be passed on to a child if both parents are carriers for the same gene. This video explains how healthy carrier parents may have a child with the disorder.

Below is a list of the 19 Ashkenazi-linked disorders.

Excerpt from:
Ashkenazi Genetic Traits | Center for Jewish Genetics

Category: Ashkenazi
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