Final answer:
Genetic counselors may interpret lab results, evaluate inherited condition risks, educate on inheritance patterns, discuss testing options, and help with coping strategies for genetic illnesses. They may refer clients for pedigrees but do not perform physical assessments.
Step-by-step explanation:
Genetic Counseling Services
During a visit to a genetics counselor, several services may be provided to a newly married couple seeking information about inherited conditions. Genetic counseling can include interpreting lab results and evaluating risks for inherited conditions, such as cancer, based on family medical history. Genetic counselors also educate about inheritance patterns and discuss options for testing, which may include methods like blood tests, amniocentesis, or chorionic villus sampling. These professionals are also equipped to help couples understand and cope with the implications of being carriers of genetic diseases or having an unborn child with a diagnosed disorder.
A comprehensive pedigree, which is a family tree that highlights the inheritance of traits, may be created by a physician to whom the couple is referred. Additionally, genetic counselors do not typically conduct physical assessments; this is outside of their scope of practice and would be conducted by a medical doctor if necessary.