The Counseling and Clinical Genetics Division of Kariminejad-Najmabadi Pathology & Genetics Center offers genetic counseling to the client or his/her family who are at risk of developing a heritable disease. In the counseling process, they are informed about the nature of the risk, the probability of increasing the severity of the disease, the developmentof the disorder or transmitting it to future generations. In addition, during the genetic counseling service, the client is provided with information about the options available todeal with the risk of developing and/or transmitting the disease.

Our specialists in this division provide clinical investigations and when a firm diagnosis has been made, they will refer the individuals affected with, for example, cognitive disorders or congenital abnormalities to be investigated more thoroughly by genetic diagnostic services in the other specialized divisions in our Center.

Other groups who receive our genetic counseling services are children or pregnant women for whom the diagnosis of a genetic disease has been established.

The following groups of people are recommended for referral to the genetic center for genetic counseling:

1. A personal history or family history of a child affected by chromosomal abnormalities; the most prevalent abnormality is trisomy 21 or Down syndrome,

2. A personal history or family history of a hereditary condition such as cystic fibrosis, Duchene muscular dystrophy, intellectual disability, or hearing loss,

3. A family history of hereditary cancer,

4. The existence of ambiguous genitalia,

5. Repeated pregnancy loss, or stillbirth,

6. A personal history or family history of facial dysmorphology and congenital abnormalities,

7. A personal history or family history of blood disorders,

8. A personal history or family history of multifactorial disorders.