Studies show that eight out of 1,000 newborns worldwide are born with a congenital heart defect. The risk of infection increases if a first degree relative has congenital heart defects. There is a strong relationship between congenital heart defects and the genetic aspect.
This means that with every pregnancy a parent suffers from a congenital heart defect, he has a 50% chance of having a baby with the same heart defect.
"There is a high prevalence of genetic disorders worldwide," said Dr. Desislava Markova, an embryologist at the IVI Fetal Medicine Clinic in Abu Dhabi. The good news is that husbands are very aware of the role of genetics in the planning of pregnancy and childbirth. This has led to the emergence of genetic testing. ”
Genetic testing is of great importance within assistive reproductive technologies, as there has been an increase in the use of tests known as genetic testing before implantation to detect genetic disorders in fetuses.
Dr. Markova added: "It is observed that the chances of giving birth to a child with congenital heart defects are higher, if the mother's age is advanced, or in the case of a previous pregnancy affected by the disease, where some abnormalities in the fetus are observed during the examination."
While most cases of congenital heart defects are hereditary, the injury may be due to the mother's exposure to certain types of harmful substances in the first early weeks of pregnancy, and this is the time, when the child's heart grows. So it is important to take tests in the first few weeks of pregnancy to ensure the healthy development of the baby.
Genetic testing is of great importance within reproductive assistive technologies.