Genetic Testing
DNAide Genetic Counsellors will work closely with your doctor to get you the genetic testing that you need. If you are in Canada and don’t have a doctor who can help, we can order certain tests as well. We specialize in genetic tests related to preconception, pregnancy loss, and infertility. Learn more about the genetic tests we can help you access below including carrier screening, miscarriage tissue testing, genetic causes of infertility and IVF failure, and genetic testing for relatives.
Carrier Screening
Carrier screening is a genetic test usually performed on both the sperm and egg provider. The goal is to understand if they are at a high risk of having a child with a severe genetic condition. Carrier screening is usually performed before pregnancy, but can be performed during pregnancy as well. Most people who have a baby born with a genetic condition have no history of that condition in themselves or their family. Carrier screening is a way to detect these types of conditions so you can be prepared, or take steps to prevent them if you wish. Learn more about carrier screening at one of our genetics classes or at a genetic counselling appointment.
If you are experiencing a pregnancy loss, genetic testing can be performed on the miscarried tissue to help identify the reason for the loss. Medically, this testing is referred to as Products of Conception (POC) testing. Most pregnancy losses in the first trimester happen due to chromosome errors that this testing can detect. We will walk you through every step of this process from learning if it is right for you, collecting the tissue at home or in the clinic, and understanding what the results mean. We hope no one needs this testing but if you do we are here to support you through it.
Testing for Relatives
Sometimes your doctor or genetic counsellor might recommend that your parent or other relative get a genetic test done. Maybe you want to do genetic testing on your embryos (PGT-M) and your relatives need testing to help design the test. Or maybe your did a test like carrier screening and your results were inconclusive and testing your relatives could help clarify what your results mean. But getting access to genetic testing in Canada isn’t always easy. It can take a long time, and not everyone has a doctor who can help. DNAide makes this process a lot easier. We handle the paperwork and have doctors who can order testing for patients in Canada.
Causes of Infertility
If you are experiencing infertility, especially with multiple rounds of unsuccessful IVF, there could be a genetic cause. New genetic tests are available to investigate reasons for fertilization failure, oocyte maturation arrest, early embryonic arrest, and more. If your doctor suspects a genetic cause for your IVF failure they will recommend that you meet with a DNAide genetic counsellor to review your personal and family medical history and discuss options for genetic testing. We’ll help you decide if testing makes sense for you and discuss pros and cons of testing. If you proceed with testing we will meet again to review results when available.