THE HEALTHY WOMAN FILE

 A board-certified OB/GYN at Women’s Health Alliance of Mobile, Dr. Jessica Jones is not only passionate about caring for expecting mothers, she’s deeply dedicated to the benefits of genetic testing. With a personal story of her own, she opens up to share an important experience and message.

 Greetings!

Today, modern medicine offers cutting-edge technology that allows us to discern genetic abnormalities in patients and their unborn children. As an OB/GYN, it’s so important that my patients understand their risks for carrying a genetic disease in order to protect themselves, and their loved ones, from preventable disease. For me, this is a personal passion because I’m a carrier for a very rare genetic disease. My son, Henry, has Spinal muscular atrophy, a very rare genetic disorder that affects 1 out of 10,000 people. We were able to get him life changing genetic medicine in utero due to the testing. Furthermore, my husband, Trey, and I are able to make the decision to pursue IVF in the future to ensure we don’t pass this to our other children. Lastly, we’ve recommend testing to our extended family members too.

 With a very small blood sample from the mother, we can gather enough genetic material for testing. We can also detect if a mother is a carrier for a genetic problem in order to help her prevent passing it to her future children. And, we can detect if a patient has genes that put them more at risk for various cancers and help them take preventative steps.

 These tests can be life altering as genetic diseases can be common. They can also save you from having to undergo invasive procedures. For instance, we can now detect if a baby has Down syndrome at 10 weeks’ gestation. Before, we had to wait until a mom was able to do an amniocentesis, which included puncturing the amniotic sac. Interestingly, up to 10% of African American women are at risk for sickle cell trait. Conversely, cystic fibrosis is more common in Caucasian women. Family history is so important, but not always available. Adopted patients might like to be tested to learn more about their risk factors.

 I strongly advise talking about genetic testing with your health care provider and I can’t over emphasize how important it to have an experienced practitioner in this arena. While scary, most patients are surprised to learn genetic testing isn’t routine. Yet, it’s typically very affordable if not covered by insurance and can make the difference between life and death. Plus, a negative test can be very reassuring! We have such a talented team and wonderful genetic counselors who can help you make these decisions, too. 

 Stay Healthy & Amazing

– Dr. Jessica Jones