Towards a Healthy Baby
Preconception and prenatal diagnosis counselling are growing areas for health care workers. Parents are becoming increasingly aware of the value of preconception counselling including diet, folate and genetic screening. With the advent of nuchal translucency scanning the field of prenatal diagnosis has extended to women of all ages. 

Module Units

1. Introductory genetics

2. Taking a family history

3. Preconception counselling

4. Prenatal diagnosis

5. Psychosocial issues

6. Ethics in prenatal diagnosis & counselling

Learning Objectives

At the end of this module participants will:

• Understand and be able to explain the importance of preconception folate supplementation.

• Understand the impact of teratogens such as alcohol and other medications on the developing foetus

• Be able to draw up a family tree to determine genetic or multifactorial influences on a pregnancy.

• Understand and be able to explain testing for cystic fibrosis

• Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the triple test and nuchal translucency scanning.

• Be able to describe how amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling are performed.

• Have insight into the issues that couples face when contemplating prenatal diagnosis and when receiving unwanted results.

• Discuss the techniques used in counselling couples and individuals that are contemplating prenatal diagnosis and when receiving unwanted results.