The United Arab Emirates (UAE) government has taken a major decision regarding health. The health department there has made 'premarital genetic testing' mandatory, effective from October 1, 2024. Under this rule, it will be mandatory for couples to undergo genetic testing before getting married in the UAE.
Abu Dhabi Government has taken this decision in the interest of the future generation. Couples must undergo these tests before marriage, to ensure the genetic health of the parents and that any genetic disorders are not passed on to the children.
Think of it this way, we get the exact DNA sequencing or chromosome structure from our parents. The genes present in it determine what our color, appearance, build, habits and behavior will be. This is the expression of all genes. If there is any defect or mutation in it, it is also passed on to the next generations. Due to which children can suffer from many diseases or problems. In most cases, there is no treatment and the child dies.
That is why today in 'Health Water' we will talk about genetic diseases. You will also know that-
- Are genetic testing mandatory before marriage in other countries of the world?
- Why is this test necessary?
- What tests are performed in this?
- Are lifestyle diseases like diabetes, hypertension also inherited?
In which countries of the world is genetic testing mandatory before marriage?
Genetic diseases have long been a challenge to the healthcare system. As scientific research on these diseases progressed, we realized that genetic diseases are not destiny. It is up to us to stop them.
Rules in this regard were also made in many countries of the world, where genetic testing was made mandatory before marriage. These are the countries where the incidence of such diseases was very high.
See the graphic below –
What is genetic testing?
Genetic testing is a type of medical testing. It detects changes in genes, chromosomes or proteins. Its results provide information about three major things:
- Whether the person has any suspected genetic condition or not.
- What is the risk of developing a genetic disorder in the future?
- What is the probability of a person passing on a genetic disorder to their children?
More than 77,000 genetic tests are currently being performed. More research is going on in this regard.
Why is genetic testing important before marriage? Dr. Senior Consultant Gynecologist at Shri Balaji Action Medical Institute, Delhi. Meenakshi Bansal says genetic testing is very important before marriage and especially before conception. The genetic condition is more common in countries with large populations such as China and India. It descends in children.
If one of the parents has a serious genetic condition, their children are more likely to pass it on. If that genetic condition is present in both parents, the child has a 50% chance of having the genetic disorder. In such a situation, parents need to know about this in advance and they can plan better for the child.
What tests are required for this? A variety of screenings have been developed to detect genetic disorders. General tests like complete blood count, blood group are also done in this. Apart from this, Hb variant testing is done to detect the possibility of thalassemia and sickle cell. There are many other such tests. See the details in the graphic below.
What diseases can be caused by genetic conditions? According to the Cleveland Clinic, about 1% of children in the world are born with a chromosomal problem. It can also cause disorders like Down syndrome. This does not develop the intellectual capacity of the child and it also affects the physical development. See the complete list of genetic diseases below –
How does genetic testing help in baby planning? Dr. Meenakshi Bansal says there is a lot of confusion about genetic testing in India. Most people think that it is advisable not to have a child if the couple's conception is likely to cause the child to have a genetic disorder, when that is not the case at all. Genetic testing has been introduced so that parents can be more prepared for the baby coming into this world. If the child's life is in danger, take a conscious decision. Risk is assessed through genetic testing and couple counseling is done for this.
Dr. Meenakshi Bansal says, there is a lot of lack of awareness about genetic testing in our country. For this, the government needs to run awareness programs and advertisements, so that the younger generation can be aware about this. This will make future generations of the country more healthy and fit.
Are genes also responsible for diabetes and hypertension? Dr. Meenakshi says that these are lifestyle diseases, but if one or both of the parents have the disease, the child is also more likely to develop the disease. Such people develop these diseases at a younger age than others.
However, Dr. Meenakshi says that even if our parents are diabetic or hypertensive, we can avoid these diseases by maintaining a good lifestyle. This will prevent not only these diseases, but also lifestyle diseases from passing on to our children.
In India, young people usually between the ages of 25 and 30 become parents for the first time. In such a case, there is a strong possibility that he may not have developed any lifestyle disease till this age. In such a situation, we have to see if any of the parents of the new parents had any such disease or not. If yes, raise the child very carefully and give him such an upbringing that he does not fall prey to lifestyle diseases.
Image Credit: (Divya-Bhaskar): Images/graphics belong to (Divya-Bhaskar).
