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Jewish Genetic Diseases

About Jewish genetic disease testing at Dallas IVF

To help you have a healthy baby, the physicians at Dallas IVF take a proactive approach to fertility care. As part of this approach, our Dallas fertility center offers Tay Sachs screening as well as screening for other genetic diseases that are more common in the Jewish population.

If testing reveals that you or your partner carry a Jewish genetic disease, you can still have a healthy baby with help from in vitro fertilization (IVF) and preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD).

Many patients don’t realize that they could carry one or more Jewish genetic diseases

Our Dallas fertility center wants you to be aware of your carrier status. If you’re of Jewish heritage, meaning that at least one of your grandparents was an Ashkenazi Jew, you’re more likely to be a carrier of certain Jewish genetic diseases.

Genetic disorders are a special concern if you’re of Jewish descent because one out of three Ashkenazi Jews in the United States is a carrier of at least one Jewish genetic disorder. There are numerous disorders that appear in the Jewish community, but two of the most common are cystic fibrosis and Tay Sachs disease.

  • Cystic fibrosis is a disorder that results in mucus buildup in the lungs and other organs, which results in breathing problems, lung infections and digestive issues. Patients have a shortened lifespan, with many only living into their 30s.
  • Tay Sachs disease is a progressive disease that impacts the central nervous system. Over time, patients experience seizures, blindness, paralysis and mental retardation. The disease is so severe that the average life expectancy for patients is three to five years.

Without preconception genetic screening, many patients are unaware that they could pass a serious genetic condition to their future children. To avoid this heartbreak, Dallas IVF offers Tay Sachs screening and screening for other Jewish genetic disorders.

There is hope to have a healthy baby with assistance from IVF with PGD

If preconception genetic screening, which includes Tay Sachs screening, reveals that you or your partner carry a Jewish genetic disorder, the physicians at our Dallas fertility center can help you. You can still bring home a healthy baby by undergoing an IVF cycle with PGD.
The beginning of your IVF cycle will proceed like any other. However, the process differs after egg retrieval. After retrieval, our reference genetics lab will combine a genetic probe with a few cells from your embryos to identify which are impacted by the genetic disorder that you or your partner carry.

If you’d like more information about Tay Sachs screening or screening for other Jewish genetic disorders, please contact our office today.