Question

Shyam and Radha are expecting their first child with Radha being in her second month of pregnancy with no complications. Shyam's family has a history of cystic fibrosis while Radha's family has a history of Down's syndrome, leading to a concern that the baby may have one of these conditions.

(a) Suggest and explain a way of testing if their baby is at risk for any genetic disorders.

(b) In case of presence of one or both of the abnormalities and posing a risk to the mother's health, mention one possible option for them to consider. Is that option safe for Radha at the current gestational age? Justify.

(c) Under the what condition is the process mentioned in (b) is illegal?

Answer 1

(a) Shyam and Radha's baby can be tested for any genetic disorders by amniocentesis. In this procedure, some of the amniotic fluid of the developing fetus is taken to analyse the fetal cells and dissolved substances.

(b) In case of presence of one or both the abnormalities and risk to mother's health, medical termination of pregnancy can be done. As Radha is in her second month of pregnancy, this procedure is safe for her as, MTP is relatively safe upto 12 weeks of pregnancy.

(c) This procedure is illegal, if the foetus is found to be female and then followed by MTP or if performed by unqualified quacks.