Prenatal Behavior and Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Prenatal Behavior and Development - Essay Example The career prospects of a genetic counselor are covered on the human genome project website. They can work as consultants in a clinical setting and specialize in prenatal, cancer risk, pediatric, hematology, cardiovascular, adult and cardiovascular health. At a commercial scale, genetic counselors can oversee the administration, design and sale of genetic tests. Genetic counselors can also run diagnostic laboratories for patients sent for genetic tests. They can also engage in education and policy making for institutions and agencies. Genetic counselors can also engage in research projects on genetics (Carey, 2012). Heald et al. (2012) explain the significance of genetic counseling in the detection and management of hereditary colorectal cancer syndromes. According to the researchers, there is need to identify the patients suffering from these syndromes in order to avail genetic counseling to the individuals as well as their families. Familial adenomatous polyposis results from the mutation of the APC gene. APC mutations are inherited in an autosomal dominant fashion. Approximately 25% of cases of familial adenomatous polyposis are due to a de novo mutation in APC (Heald et al., 2012). An elaborate assessment entails gathering family history information that spans three generations. This covers ages, ethnic background, and the reasons that contribute to the death of relations. Any cancer diagnosis should be recorded as well as the age at emergence and the history of the polyps. Genetic counseling requires the gathering of detailed medical history. Initially, formal risk assessment is conducted. If a hereditary cancer syndrome is suspected, a positive genetic test will confirm such a diagnosis. Education about any cancer syndrome is conducted and genetic testing may be offered upon consent. This will also enable the performance of predictive testing for the individual’s relatives. However, the genetic tests are not absolute and a