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Perinatal Care
Comprehensive pregnancy evaluation, counseling, and care

Genetic Counseling

You may want genetic counseling for many reasons, such as:

  • Increased maternal age
  • Positive maternal serum screen results (also known as AFP, triple screen, or quad screen)
  • Exposure to certain medications, alcohol, street drugs, chemicals, X-rays, or infections during a pregnancy

Other indications include a family history of an inherited condition or a history of multiple pregnancy losses.

Information on Risks

The genetic counselor can provide you information on risks for a particular birth defect or genetic condition in a child or other family member.

In many cases this information is reassuring. Other issues that can be discussed include available genetic tests, treatments, research options, support organizations, and community resources.

Please bring information about your and your partner's family histories. It can be helpful to know family members with birth defects (such as cleft lip/palate or heart defect), mental retardation, genetic syndromes, or other medical conditions.

We strongly encourage your partner to attend the session, as we will be asking information about their family history.

Physicians

This service is conducted by certified genetic counselors in conjunction with our physicians.

The counselors at Duke Perinatal of Raleigh are:

  • Amy Mottola, MS, CGC
  • Amanda Padro, MS
  • Elizabeth Tootoo, MS, CGC

The counselors at Duke Perinatal of Greensboro are: 

  • Karen Echerd, MS
  • Randi Stewart, MS, CGC

The counselors at Duke Perinatal of Durham are:

  • Regan Matthews, MS, CGC
  • Kristin Paulyson Nuñez, MS, CGC
  • Deborah Wells, MS, CGC

The counselors at Duke Perinatal of Burlington are:

  • Karen Echerd, MS
  • Deborah Wells, MS, CGC

Locations

This service is available at:

About This Page

Published: May 4, 2006
Updated: May 18, 2009
URL: http://www.dukehealth.org/Services/Perinatal/Programs/Counseling