combined The government of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has made an important health decision. The Ministry of Health has made ‘premarital genetic testing’ mandatory, which will come into effect on 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 need to undergo these tests before marriage, so that the genetic health of the parents can be verified and possible genetic disorders are not passed on to children.
Think of it like this: we get specific DNA sequencing or chromosome structure from our parents. The genes present in them decide what our skin tone, appearance, structure, habits and behavior will be. This is all gene expression. If there is any defect or mutation in them, this is also passed on to the next generations. Due to this, children may face many illnesses or problems. In most cases, there is no treatment and the baby dies.
so today’In the medical file“I’m going to talk about genetic diseases. You will also learn that-
Is premarital genetic testing mandatory in other countries around the world? Why are these tests carried out in this country? Are lifestyle diseases like diabetes and hypertension also passed down through genes?
In which countries in the world are premarital genetic testing mandatory?
Genetic diseases have long been a challenge for the healthcare system. As scientific research into these diseases has progressed, we have come to understand that genetic diseases are not inevitable. It is in our hands to stop them.
Rules on this subject have also been adopted in many countries around the world, where premarital genetic testing has become mandatory before marriage. These are the countries where the proportion of these diseases was very high.
See the chart below –
What is genetic testing?
Genetic testing is a type of medical test. Thanks to this, changes in genes, chromosomes or proteins are detected. Its results provide information on three important things:
If a person suffers from a suspected genetic disease. How likely is it to develop a genetic disease in the future. How likely is it that a person will pass on a genetic disease to their children.
Currently, more than 77,000 genetic tests are carried out. Additional research is still underway on this.
Why is premarital genetic testing important?
Dr Meenakshi Bansal, senior consultant gynecologist at Shri Balaji Action Medical Institute, Delhi, says genetic testing is very important before marriage and especially before conceiving. Genetic conditions are more likely to occur in countries with large populations like China and India. It can be passed on to children.
If one parent has a serious genetic disease, the chances of their children passing it on increase. If this genetic disease is present in both parents, the chances of the child having a genetic disease increase by 50%. In such a situation, it is important for parents to be informed in advance so that they can plan better for the child.
What tests are needed for this?
Several types of screening have been developed to detect genetic disorders. As part of this, general tests such as complete blood count and blood group are also carried out. Apart from this, Hb variant testing is done to detect the possibility of thalassemia and sickle cell disease. There are many other tests of this type. See details in the graphic below.
What diseases can be caused by genetic conditions?
According to the Cleveland Clinic, approximately 1% of children worldwide are born with a chromosomal problem. It can also cause disorders like Down syndrome. In this, the intellectual capacity of the child does not develop and this also affects his physical development. See the full list of genetic diseases below –
How does genetic testing help in planning a baby?
Dr. Meenakshi Bansal says there is a lot of confusion regarding genetic testing in India. Most people think that if there is a possibility that the child may suffer from a genetic disease due to the couple’s conception, then it is advisable not to have children, whereas this is not at all the case. Genetic testing has been initiated so that parents can be better prepared for their child’s arrival in this world. If the child’s life is in danger, think carefully and make an informed decision. Risk is assessed through genetic testing and couples receive counseling about it.
Dr Meenakshi Bansal says there is a lot of lack of awareness regarding genetic testing in our country. For this, it is necessary for the government to organize awareness programs and advertisements, so that the younger generation can become aware of it. As a result, the country’s future generations will be healthier and fitter.
Are genes also responsible for diabetes and hypertension?
Dr. Meenakshi says that these are lifestyle diseases, but if one or both parents suffer from such a disease, then there is an increased possibility of the child developing this disease as well. These people contract these diseases at a younger age than others.
However, Dr Meenakshi says that even if our parents are diabetic or hypertensive, we can avoid these diseases by maintaining a good lifestyle. This way, we will not only protect ourselves from these diseases, but we will also not pass on lifestyle diseases to our children.
In India, young people generally aged between 25 and 30 become parents for the first time. In such a situation, there are high chances that he would not have suffered from any lifestyle diseases before this age. In such a situation, we will have to see whether any of the parents of the new parents were suffering from such a disease or not. If yes, raise the child with great care and provide him with such education that he does not fall prey to lifestyle diseases.