Nov 15, 2023 at 1:48 PM Update: an hour ago
According to the Health Council, it should be possible for anyone who wants children to check whether they are carriers of a hereditary condition. If both parents are carriers, their child can develop the condition.
Such screening allows parents to “make informed choices about reproduction.” The Health Council advises the government to conduct a pilot study into “what is the best way to reach all prospective parents”.
Intended parents who are known to have a high chance of being carriers can now be tested. People from high-risk groups, such as from genetically isolated areas such as Volendam, are also eligible for the test. But this does not reach everyone, says the Health Council.
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According to the council, the chance that both prospective parents are carriers of the same hereditary disease is 1 percent. The parents themselves do not notice this, but there is a 25 percent chance that their child will develop the condition.
One in four hundred children has a hereditary condition. There is usually no treatment available for such a condition. Possible hereditary disorders include muscle disease SMA and cystic fibrosis. The Health Council states that the medical sector must determine for itself which hereditary diseases are tested for.
Beeld: Getty images
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2023-11-15 12:48:18
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