19 minutes agoAuthor: Gaurav Tiwari
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Joint The Government of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has taken a big decision regarding health. The Health Department there has made ‘premarital genetic testing’ mandatory, which is coming into effect from October 1, 2024. Under this rule, it will be mandatory for couples to undergo genetic testing before getting married in the UAE.
The Abu Dhabi government has taken this decision in the interest of future generations. Couples will have to undergo these tests before marriage, so that the genetic health of the parents can be ascertained and no genetic disorder is passed on to the children.
Understand it like this that we get a specific DNA sequencing or structure of chromosomes from our parents. The genes present in them determine how our colour, appearance, structure, habits and behaviour will be. All this is the expression of genes. If there is some defect or mutation in them, then it gets passed on to the coming generations as well. This can cause many types of diseases or problems in children. In most of the cases, there is no cure for them and the child dies.
so today ‘health report‘ We will talk about genetic diseases. Along with that we will know that-
- Is premarital genetic testing mandatory in other countries of the world?
- Why is this testing necessary?
- Which tests are done in this?
- Are lifestyle diseases like diabetes, hypertension also passed on through genes?
In which countries of the world is premarital genetic testing mandatory
Genetic diseases have been a challenge for the healthcare system for a long time. As scientific research on these diseases progressed, we realized that genetic diseases are not destiny. It is in our hands to prevent them.
Rules were also made in many countries of the world regarding this, where premarital genetic testing was made mandatory before marriage. These are the countries where the proportion of such diseases was very high.
Look at the graphic below-
What is genetic testing?
Genetic testing is a type of medical test. Through this, changes in genes, chromosomes or proteins are detected. Its results provide information about three major things:
- Whether a person has any suspected genetic condition.
- What is the risk of developing a genetic disorder in the future?
- How likely it is for a genetic disorder to be passed on from one person to their children.
Currently, more than 77,000 genetic tests are being conducted. More research is still going on in this.
Why is premarital genetic testing important?
Dr. Meenakshi Bansal, Senior Consultant Gynecologist at Shri Balaji Action Medical Institute, Delhi, says that genetic testing is very important before marriage and especially before conceiving. In countries with large populations like China and India, there is a higher chance of having genetic conditions. It can be passed on to children.
If either of the parents has a serious genetic condition, then the chances of the children inheriting it increases. If that genetic condition is present in both the parents, then the chances of the child having a genetic disorder increases by 50%. In such a situation, it is important that the parents know about this in advance and they can do better planning for the child.
Which tests have to be done for this?
Many types of screening have been developed to detect genetic disorders. General tests like complete blood count, blood group are also done. Apart from this, Hb variant testing is done to detect the possibility of thalassemia and sickle cell. There are many more such tests. See the details in the graphic below.
What diseases can be caused by genetic conditions?
According to the Cleveland Clinic, about 1% of children in the world are born with chromosomal problems. This can also cause disorders like Down syndrome. In this, the child’s intellectual ability does not develop and it also affects physical development. See the complete list of genetic diseases below-
How does genetic testing help in baby planning?
Dr. Meenakshi Bansal says that there is a lot of confusion about genetic testing in India. Most people think that if a couple is likely to have a genetic disorder after conceiving, then they are advised not to have a child, but this is not the case at all. Genetic testing has been started so that parents can be more prepared for the child coming into this world. If the child’s life is in danger, then they can take an informed decision about it. Risk is assessed through genetic testing and couples are given counseling for this.
Dr. Meenakshi Bansal says that there is a lot of lack of awareness about genetic testing in our country. For this, there is a need for awareness programs and advertisements to be run by the government, so that the younger generation can become aware about this. This will make the future generations in the country more healthy and fit.
Are genes also responsible for diabetes and hypertension
Dr. Meenakshi says that these are lifestyle diseases, but if one or both of the parents have such a disease, then the chances of the child developing this disease increases. Such people develop these diseases at a younger age than others.
However, Dr. Meenakshi says that despite our parents being diabetic or suffering from hypertension, we can avoid these diseases by maintaining a good lifestyle. This will not only protect us from these diseases, but lifestyle diseases will not pass on to our children either.
In India, young people usually become parents for the first time between the ages of 25 and 30. In such a situation, there is a high possibility that they may not have suffered from any lifestyle disease till this age. In such a condition, we have to see whether any of the parents of the newly made parents had any such disease or not. If yes, then raise the child very carefully and give them such upbringing that they do not fall prey to lifestyle diseases.
