Question

A couple would like to have a baby, but they are concerned that the baby may inherit a very serious X-linked recessive condition that is present in the mother's family history. Which of the following tests may be appropriate for this couple? a) sperm selection b) rescue karyotyping c) predictive test d) maternal serum marker analysis

Answer 1

A couple concerned about an X-linked recessive condition being passed to their baby should consider c)a predictive test to determine if the mother is a carrier, and seek guidance from a genetic counselor.

Step-by-step explanation:

A couple concerned about the risk of their baby inheriting a serious X-linked recessive condition present in the mother's family history has several options for genetic testing to assess this risk.

In this case, the appropriate test would be a predictive test (option c), which can determine if the mother is a carrier of the X-linked recessive gene.

A genetic counselor can provide the most relevant information to a couple in this situation. Sperm selection (option a) is not relevant for X-linked conditions passed through the mother.

Rescue karyotyping (option b) is a term not commonly used in genetic screening contexts, and maternal serum marker analysis (option d) is typically used to identify potential issues with the pregnancy itself, not the genetic heritability of specific conditions.

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