Pregnancy is an exciting journey, but it’s also a time to think about your baby’s health. Did you know that every pregnancy has a small chance of resulting in a baby with a serious genetic condition? While the risk is low—around 1 to 2 per 100 children—it’s worth being informed about your options to minimize surprises.

Understanding Genetic Conditions

In Australia, about 1 in 20 people carry the gene for one of these three common genetic conditions, and 1 in 160 couples will be found to be at risk of having an affected child:

Cystic Fibrosis (CF)

A severe condition causing lung and digestive problems, affecting 1 in 2,500 people.

Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA)

A neuromuscular disease affecting 1 in 6,000 people, historically associated with high morbidity.

Fragile X Syndrome (FXS)

The most common inherited cause of intellectual disability, affecting 1 in 3,600 men and 1 in 6,000 women.

What Does Being a Carrier Mean?

Being a carrier of a genetic condition usually does not affect your health, and most people identified as carriers have no family history of the condition.

Key Fact

Even if you have no known genetic conditions in your family, you could still be a carrier.

Did You Know?

The number of pregnancies affected by CF, SMA, or FXS is comparable to the number of live births affected by Down syndrome.