By Jillian Farrel -- February 17, 2010
Some of the most disastrous inherited diseases are curbed, because more people are deciding whether to have children.
The Associated Press interviewed geneticists and discovered births of babies suffering from diseases, such as cystic fibrosis have dropped since testing widely came into use.
More women are now being tested as a part of routine pre-natal care. Many will end pregnancies when diseases are discovered. Many couples without a history of inherited diseases are getting tested before they start families, so they don't pass genetic mutations to their children.
The genetic testing procedure is a complicated process, involving an analysis of chromosomes, DNA, RNA, genes, and/or gene products to determine if an alteration is present that is causing or likely to cause a disease or special condition.
Cystic Fibrosis causes mucus to accumulate in the lungs, digestive problems, and childhood death.
Genetic testing is a controversial issue, because it concerns issues, such as abortion, eugenics, and embryo destruction.
"We're definitely seeing decreased rates of genetic disorders as a result of carrier screening, " said Dr. Wendy Chung, Clinic Genetics Chief of Columbia University. In five years, she has only seen one case of Tay-Sachs disease , which is a fatal neurological disease.
Genetic testing hasn't led to a decrease in all diseases, though. For example, Sickle Cell, which is a blood disorder that causes anemia, pain, and raises the risk of stroke hasn't declined.
