Reproductive Genetic Services

The Rush Approach to Reproductive Genetic Services

Your first experience with genetic screening will likely be part of your prenatal care with your OB/GYN. Routine prenatal genetic tests typically screen for if you or your partner are a carrier for a recessive genetic disease or if your pregnancy may be at risk for chromosome disorders.

If your provider believes, or your screening shows, that your baby may have a genetic disorder, you want answers and accuracy. Rush’s reproductive genetic services team provides expert diagnosis and education so you can make the best decisions for you and your family.

After diagnosis, our reproductive genetic counselors will help you understand your test results and the possibility of a genetic condition, and discuss the medical care and resources available to you. We’ll partner together to coordinate the next steps of your care and find support for you and your family.

Rush Excellence in Reproductive Genetic Services

• Fetal and Neonatal Center provides advanced care: Rush University Medical Center provides expert diagnostic and medical care for you and your unborn baby through our Fetal and Neonatal Medicine Center. We bring together a team of specialists, including genetic counselors, maternal-fetal medicine physicians, neonatologists and pediatric specialists, for coordinated mother-baby-family care to help ensure the best possible outcomes for you and your baby.
• Continuous care for pregnancy and beyond: At Rush, we have the expertise and resources to care for your baby’s condition from diagnosis and delivery to adulthood. We’ll support your family during pregnancy by helping you understand and prepare for your baby's condition and navigate prenatal care options. After delivery, we'll transition your care to our pediatric genetic experts who will help you coordinate your baby's health needs during childhood.
• Screening and treating newborns for genetic disorders: Illinois requires hospitals to screen all newborns for more than 40 health conditions, many genetic. Rush University Medical Center is one of few Chicago-area hospitals that can both screen and treat at the same facility. For example, if your baby's screening is positive for cystic fibrosis, Rush University Medical Center has a multidisciplinary cystic fibrosis clinic that can provide advanced diagnosis and treatment.
• Specialized clinics to care for your child’s individual needs: In addition to our cystic fibrosis clinic, we have several other programs dedicated to treatments and therapies specific to certain genetic conditions. These highly specialized clinics focus on research and often participate in clinical trials which may offer early access to promising new treatments. Rush specialty clinics include: Chicago’s only Fragile X Syndrome Clinic, the Rush Craniofacial Center, the MDA (Muscular Dystrophy) Care Center and the Rush Rett Multidisciplinary Clinic.
• Support during pregnancy planning: For those with recurrent pregnancy loss, infertility or a family history of genetic disorders, we can help you identify potential genetic issues that may be a barrier to healthy pregnancy. We’ll also review any pregnancy risks as part of your health history. Our pregnancy planning support will include working with your infertility specialist or maternal-fetal medicine provider for comprehensive care