Preparing for a healthy pregnancy usually means taking prenatal vitamins, cutting back on alcohol, and figuring out where to put the crib. But talk to any obstetrician and you’ll learn it’s also an excellent time to test for inherited diseases.

Until recently, that meant targeting just a handful of diseases, such as Tay-Sachs or cystic fibrosis. But thanks to a simple saliva test called the Family Prep Screen, you now have the chance to screen for more than 100 genetic diseases at once.

Here’s why adding the Family Prep Screen to your to-do list can be among the most important ways to prepare for your growing family:

• You can have zero family history of a disease and still pass it on. Here’s the thing – more than 80 percent of babies born with genetic disease have no known family history. That’s because many of us are healthy carriers of rare diseases. This is only a problem if you and your partner are among the nearly one percent of couples who share a disease gene.
• You get information you can use. The Family Prep Screen gives you a head-start on preparing for your baby’s development. Armed with the results, parents have saved valuable time by, among other interventions, lining up the right specialists before birth, or putting their newborn on a special diet.
• You get an expert’s support. Each Family Prep Screen includes a session with a board-certified genetic counselor who can make sense of the results and offer guidance about next steps.
• A Family Prep Screen is affordable. Identifying carrier genes for more than 100 serious diseases typically costs less than a couple of hundred bucks, thanks to state-of-the-art technology pioneered by Counsyl. Plus, the test is covered by major insurers.
• Prescribed by more than 15,000 health professionals. The Family Prep Screen has the backing of top fertility specialists and obstetricians who like it because it’s affordable, easy to use, and thorough.

Learn more about Counsyl’s Family Prep Screen