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| SPECIALIST ANSWERS
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Question |
I have an Autisitc Child, 7 yrs old, whose mother is 6 weeks pregnant, with a H/O 2nd degree consangious marriage & high maternal age (33). What are the chances of this pregnancy of having an autistic child ? Are there any relevant prenatal tests to be done at this stage ( 6 wks )?
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Answer |
In the case of autism, the likelihood that the sibling of an affected child also would be affected is between three and six percent. This number is small enough that family doctors probably would never see enough cases of two affected siblings in the same family to suspect a genetic influence. To identify the specific genes influencing autism, scientists initiated an international collaboration in 1996. However, at present there are no tests that will help us in determining whether the next child will be affected or not.
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