Is this actually true?

I could really use some advice here

Sophia Harris11 said:I need some advice

Can anyone who actually knows their stuff clear this up for me? A friend of mine had her baby at forty. During a chat, she mentioned that early in her pregnancy, she had to get DNA testing done—just to rule out any potential anomalies or health issues like autism, you know, because of the later age. As far as I understand, DNA testing is usually for paternity stuff, while there are other ways to check for medical issues... Since this is pretty important to me, if anyone knows about this (especially if there's a medical professional reading this!), please let me know if my suspicions are right. I mean, was someone doubting they were the father, or can DNA really be used to catch early signs of illness in a baby? Thanks!🤦

Sophia Harris11 said:Can someone who actually knows their stuff weigh in here? A friend of mine just had a baby at forty. During one of our chats, she mentioned that early in her pregnancy, she had to get DNA testing done just to rule out any potential anomalies or health issues—like autism or other conditions—that might be linked to having a baby later in life. From what I understand, DNA testing is usually for paternity stuff, and there are totally different methods used to screen for genetic diseases... so I'm feeling a bit confused. Since this is pretty important to me, if anyone—especially someone in the medical field—could clarify things, I’d really appreciate it. Am I right to be skeptical? I mean, was there some doubt about paternity going on, or can DNA testing actually be used for early detection of fetal health issues? Thanks!🤦

Feel free to just shoot me a DM if that's easier!

DNA, chromosomes, genes... we’re talking middle school biology here. It’s a given that you can identify genetic disorders or chromosomal abnormalities—that part is straightforward. But now, I’m going to throw 🤦 into the mix.

Lisa Perez37 said:DNA, chromosomes, genes... basically middle school biology. Obviously, they can screen for genetic disorders or chromosomal issues. I'll just throw 🤦 into the mix.

I mean, sure—but is it actually standard practice for an OB-GYN to jump straight to DNA testing in these situations? Like, alongside all the other diagnostic tools available...🙄

It’s not a DNA test. He was almost certainly looking for screening results, likely suggesting genetic amniocentesis—which is standard practice for any pregnant woman over 35 here in the States. Those tests help determine the risk level for various genetic anomalies, like Down syndrome or Edwards syndrome. But even then, it’s never a 100% guarantee; it just points to a statistical probability.
She clearly misunderstood the whole "DNA" aspect, which explains why she phrased things that way when talking to you. Real DNA testing is an expensive endeavor and isn't part of the standard prenatal care protocol for most women.
BTW, autism isn't something you can just predict through these kinds of screenings. In fact, a formal diagnosis often doesn't even happen until a child hits five years old.

Angela Wright said:It’s definitely not a DNA test—he probably just went through standard screening and suggested genetic amniocentesis, which is what they usually recommend for any pregnant woman over 35 here in the States. Those results help determine the risk for certain genetic anomalies (like Down syndrome, Edwards syndrome, etc.). But honestly, even those aren't 100% foolproof; they really just show a probability.
I think she misunderstood the whole DNA thing, which is why she phrased it that way when talking to you. Real DNA testing is a pretty expensive endeavor—it's definitely not part of the standard prenatal care protocol.
BTW—autism isn't something you can predict any time soon. Most kids aren't even diagnosed until they're around 5 years old.

Well, that's kind of the catch—she didn't necessarily get it wrong, she actually did a DNA... hm... I guess some husbands just don't fully trust their wives. I felt a little bad for her, honestly. We're close, so she tried to tell me about it—kind of wrapping it in layers of politeness—and I ended up feeling disappointed (since the husband likely had his reasons for being suspicious). That's why I was trying to dig for info here—she's a good friend and the whole situation just bummed me out. Btw, the kid is 5 now and totally healthy.😒

DNA, genetics, genes, chromosomes... honestly, it can all get pretty confusing—and it’s entirely possible the doctor phrased things a bit clumsily, which might have led your friend to misinterpret things when she told you. Or maybe she just got the details a little mixed up. But if we're talking about an amniocentesis just to establish paternity... well, that isn't exactly a minor or risk-free procedure. It would be much simpler, far less invasive, and significantly more affordable to just run the tests once the baby is actually born.

Lisa Perez37 said:DNA, genetics, genes, chromosomes... it all gets pretty confusing—maybe the doctor phrased things clumsily, or maybe your friend just misheard what was said. But if we're talking about an amniocentesis just to confirm paternity... well, that's not exactly a totally risk-free procedure. Honestly, it’s way simpler, less painful, and much cheaper to just run a test after the baby is born.

Okay, thanks for the info! It's not really my issue anyway, so I'm not going to stress over it any further.

Sophia Harris11 said:That’s exactly where the catch lies. It isn’t that she misread the situation; it’s that she went out and got a DNA test... well, let's just say things got complicated. Honestly, it sounds like her husband had his doubts for a reason, and he wasn't exactly buying what she was selling. I actually felt a bit bad for her. She’s a close friend of mine, so when she tried to wrap the whole thing up in pretty little packaging to tell me, I ended up feeling pretty let down—mostly because it seems like the guy’s suspicions were probably justified. That’s why I came here to dig for some answers; I wanted to make sense of it all since it was such a disappointment to hear from someone I trust. On a side note, the kid is five now and perfectly healthy.😒

Honestly, I think the issue stems from her being completely out of the loop. A lot of women act like they're just following the herd—taking everything at face value without a second thought. When they’re pregnant, they hear half a story, spin a wild tale around it, and then run with it instead of actually doing their homework or even just running a quick Google search to find the facts.
You brought up DNA testing when talking about identifying certain diseases, and since those specific screenings are performed by a geneticist, she basically concluded that it functions as its own kind of DNA test.

Of course the kid is healthy—why on earth wouldn't they be? 🤷 Screening tests and amniocentesis are standard procedure for just about every pregnancy, especially when the mother is over 35.

Angela Wright said:Honestly, I think she just wasn't really up to speed on how this works. A lot of women—and I mean a lot—tend to just take things at face value without digging deeper. They hear something, spin it around in their heads, and instead of doing a quick Google search or actually asking questions, they just run with it.
Since you brought up DNA testing regarding certain health conditions, and since geneticists perform specific screenings for that, she basically assumed it was all some kind of general DNA test.

And obviously the baby is healthy—why wouldn't it be? 🤷 Standard screenings and amniocentesis are pretty routine during any pregnancy, especially when the mother is over 35.

Yeah, but the thing is, we were sort of half-joking about her son's paternity earlier, and then she jumped in saying it wasn't an issue because she’d done a DNA test to prove it. She claimed the whole reason for the analysis was
for the stuff you guys are talking about... but from what I understand about those medical tests, they're meant to prevent complications, not to prove who the father is. That would imply someone had doubts, which honestly stung a bit since they've been close friends for years... I just thought their marriage was rock solid... but whatever, enough about that.🤦