Medical Genetics - V. M. Zaporozhan 2005

Prevention of Hereditary Diseases
Elimination of embryos and fetuses with hereditary pathology and congenital malformations

If a birth defect or hereditary disorder is diagnosed in an embryo or fetus that leads to severe disability or is fatal, and for which there are no preventive Treatment or correction Methods, this constitutes an indication for Pregnancy termination. Pregnancy may be terminated within the established timeframes. The decision to terminate the pregnancy is made by the woman. Typically, these issues are discussed prior to invasive prenatal Diagnosis. If for any reason pregnancy termination is not feasible (most often due to religious beliefs), performing invasive Diagnostics is impractical.

In the course of evolution, humans have developed a protective mechanism: if a fetus has a hereditary pathology, the pregnancy is frequently interrupted by a Spontaneous Abortion or premature birth. This mechanism helps maintain a constant frequency of genes and genotypes within the population. Thus, the medical-genetic approach to Prevention through the elimination of embryos and fetuses with hereditary pathologies essentially substitutes for the natural process of pregnancy termination.



Last update: 11/08/2026

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