Northwestern Memorial Hospital - Exceptional Care in the Heart of Chicago

Reproductive Genetics Resources

• Basics
  • Who should be screened?
• Diseases/Conditions
  • Huntington's disease
  • Polydactyly
  • Sickle cell anemia
  • Tay-Sachs disease
  • Hemophillia A
  • Hemophillia B
  • Duchenne muscular dystrophy
  • Fragile X syndrome
  • Down syndrome
  • Trisomy 18
  • Abdominal wall defect
  • Cleft palate
  • Clubfoot
  • Spina bifida
  • Anencephaly
  • Canavan disease
    
• Tests
  • Genetic screening
  • Diagnostic tests
• Physicians
• Trusted Health References

We offer medical procedures for the prenatal diagnosis of chromosomal disorders:

• Chorionic Villus Sampling (CVS)
  Performed during the first trimester, it tests for chromosomal abnormalities, such as Down syndrome and certain other genetic conditions.
  

• Amniocentesis
  Performed during the second trimester, it tests for chromosomal abnormalities, neural tube defects, such as spina bifida and certain other genetic conditions.
  

• Advanced Ultrasound
  Performed after five weeks of pregnancy, this provides a detailed and targeted look at the fetus by using sophisticated diagnostic imaging equipment.
  

• Precutaneous Umbilical Blood Sampling
  Performed during the second or third trimester, this highly specialized procedure takes blood from the fetus to test for chromosomal abnormalities and other genetic conditions.
  
  
• Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) for Selected Disorders
  Performed before implantation, PGD tests early-stage embryos produced in vitro fertilization (IVF) for the presence of a variety of conditions.
  

Contact
For more information about reproductive genetics services at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, call (877) 926-4664.