Fathers-to-Be Should Know More about Prenatal Genetic Testing and Amniocentesis

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Boston, MA, September 3, 2010 — Today’s modern man is often overheard talking about the new baby on the way by using the word “we” as in ‘we are pregnant’, ‘we are due next month’, and ‘we are having twins’. This is a great sign that men are no longer the nervous fathers who wait outside the delivery room. Men have become proactive parents and have evolved into the diaper changing, formula making, carriage pusher that new mothers today have come to know and love.

But it is during the long months of pregnancy that men feel more left out of the process, according to author Stephen Mitchell of Australia who has just written a book along with Jon Farry called ‘Man with a Pram’. “Many men are tired of reading pregnancy literature skewed towards women, he says in a recent interview in The Herald Sun. “There is a lot of panic and fear for men and we just want them to feel relaxed about the process. I think ‘Man with A Pram’ will get to the heart of the issue. They no longer have an excuse for not knowing what a Bugaboo or an amniocentesis is.’

According to a parenting website, men should be supportive of their pregnant wife or partner by knowing what kinds of physical changes she is experiencing,. The standard tips for men also include participating in a few more chores around the house and helping to buy the baby furniture. But there are more medical scenarios that men need to understand and be prepared for. For example, if a man learns that his wife or partner has to undergo prenatal genetic testing because of his family medical history, he may also need to go to a genetic counselor. His family medical history is also very important in determining if the future mother should undergo prenatal genetic testing, including potentially amniocentesis.

An amniocentesis is most commonly used to determine whether the baby is at risk for various genetic disorders or birth defects, such as Down syndrome. This genetic amnio is performed during second trimester of pregnancy. When amniocentesis is done during the third trimester, it shows whether the baby’s lungs are fully formed and whether there is an infection in the amniotic fluid.

Recently, there is also an opportunity for the family to preserve a small amount of the amniotic fluid for the future potential medical use by the child. Biocell Center, the nation’s leading amniotic fluid stem cell bank, has developed a method to cryopreserve cells from amniotic fluid that is very simple and does not change the amniocentesis procedure itself.

By knowing more about prenatal genetic testing, men will become more knowledgeable about the medical side to pregnancy and can participate equally in the happier times like the ultrasound pictures, fixing up the baby’s room, and finding out once and for all what a Bugaboo is!

Other press releases from Biocell Center Corporation

• Successful Transplant of Trachea Grown From Patient’s Own Cells - July 13th, 2011
• Grant Will Study Amniotic Fluid Stem Cells’ Potential to Treat Alport Syndrome - June 14th, 2011
• Scientists create kidneys from amniotic fluid stem cells - April 18th, 2011
• Biocell Center Attends American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine Annual Convention - April 16th, 2011
• Boston Children’s Hospitals’ Dr. Dario Fauza Addresses Congress of Perinatal Medicine in Italy - April 13th, 2011