Karyotyping spouses, or How to plan the birth of a healthy baby
Any married couple should be rightto the issue of the birth of a child. To be sure of the health of the baby's future, doctors advise before the conception to undergo a thorough medical examination of both spouses. One of the causes of infertility or deviation in the development of the fetus is the genetic pathology of the parents. A similar anomaly can be identified only by examining in detail the karyotype (chromosome structure) of the spouses.
Essence and necessity of karyotyping of spouses
Normally, each person's karyotype consists of 46chromosomes, which are divided into 23 pairs. Deviations from the correct structure do not necessarily appear externally in humans, but they directly affect the reproductive function and health of the offspring in the most direct way. It is for the purpose of identifying chromosomal pathologies that karyotyping of spouses is prescribed.
Karyotype analysis is necessary in the following cases:
unsuccessful past pregnancy, which resulted in miscarriage or fading of the embryo;
the inability to become pregnant for a long period with a regular sexual life;
the birth of a child with a chromosomal abnormality;
genetic pathologies in relatives;
The modern method of karyotyping is a chromosomal micromatrix analysis
Classical karyotyping though it isquite effective, but in some cases has limited information because of the lack of resolution of the method. Today, there is a more perfect method of karyotyping, based on the analysis of the DNA-microarray, which allows the fine analysis of small parts of the DNA molecule with high accuracy. The use of microarrays for DNA analysis makes it possible to increase the information content more than 200 times in comparison with the classical method of investigation. In addition, the reliability of micro-matrix karyotyping is close to 100%, which makes it possible to determine the genetic anomaly in the spouses with the maximum probability and plan the birth of a healthy child based on the results of the diagnosis.
Due to its technological complexity,Micro-matrix analysis is available only in several medical centers. In Russia, such a diagnosis can be carried out only in the Moscow laboratory "Genoanalyst". The laboratory specialists make DNA isolation from virtually any biomaterial, and the results of clinical studies give a complete picture of the chromosomal structure of the spouses. The opportunity to make this test is available to residents of all regions of Russia thanks to special test tubes for the transportation of biomaterials and well-developed biology, apparently, which this laboratory has formed.
Plan a healthy baby and be healthy yourself!
