Specialists and Care Centers

Prenatal Specialists and Care Centers

The prenatal specialists throughout Northwestern Medicine provide genetic counseling, preconception screening, prenatal screening and diagnosis for a variety of birth defects and disorders. Genetic counseling is also available for infertility and other problems with conception and pregnancy. Northwestern Medicine genetic counseling can help you:

• Better understand your chances of giving birth to a child with a birth defect or genetic disorder
• Answer questions
• Understand your choices for finding and treating birth defects or health problems in your baby
• Get accurate, current information
• Plan for the care of a child born with a birth defect or other health problems

Genetic counselors

To schedule an appointment, please call 312.472.4151.

Genetic counselors are master’s degree-trained heath care providers, who are experts in the field of genetics. The genetic counselors in the Division of Clinical Genetics are licensed by the State of Illinois and are board certified/eligible by the American Board of Genetic Counseling (ABGC). The role of the genetic counselor is to help you understand various genetic conditions and the risk of them occurring in yourself or a current or future pregnancy. Our genetic counselors specialize in both hereditary cancers and reproductive genetics, and they will answer all of your questions about your risk of developing certain types of hereditary cancers or fetal risk for birth defects, chromosome abnormalities and genetic conditions, as well as current screening and diagnostic testing options. Genetic counselors are specifically trained to explain risks and test results in understandable terms and to help you make informed cancer risk management, family planning, and pregnancy management decisions. Our genetic counselors excel in providing the highest quality genetic counseling available.

Clinical Genetics

Northwestern Medicine Clinical Genetics is composed of highly trained, compassionate physician-geneticists and genetic counselors who specialize in providing the most current genetic counseling and testing available.

Human genome research has lead to a wealth of information. Clinic Genetics is translating this new information into knowledge that will provide you the information needed to make informed decisions about your health, as well as about current and future pregnancies.

The Section of Reproductive Genetics within Clinical Genetics provides genetic counseling, preconception screening, prenatal screening and prenatal diagnosis for a variety of birth defects and genetic disorders in the Downtown Academic Medical Center.