Most of the time, parents want to know the health status of their unborn baby as it develops.
And these days, there are so many tests giving parents a heads up if there are complications ahead.
Now, some newer genetic tests take things to a whole new level. Tests to predict what's ahead for a child's health after birth, and even into adulthood.
Dr. Rocio Moran is an expert on Pediatric Genomic Medicine at Cleveland Clinic's Lerner Research Institute.
"Parents actually would like to know this information," said Dr. Moran. "And again, these are adult onset disorders, the study specifically looked at disorders that were preventable and common. So, skin cancer, lung cancer, colon cancer, heart disease."
Georgetown University researchers surveyed more than 200 parents. They asked them about the benefits of testing their child's susceptibly to common chronic diseases like colon cancer, osteoporosis, or Type II diabetes.
Results show parents were more likely to want to have their child tested if they thought their child was at risk for disease. But researchers caution parents may not accurately anticipate how they'd react to the news - good or bad.
Dr. Moran says there should always be a discussion with a medical professional before any testing is done.
"I think it's important that primary care providers and pediatricians are aware of the availability of these tests. They're not currently marketed for pediatrics but the natural question, if an adult is receiving the test, is whether on not they can use it in the pediatric setting," Dr. Moran said.
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