Final answer:
Consulting with a genetic counselor is advisable for expecting parents, especially if there's an increased risk of genetic disorders due to age or family history. While certain newborn characteristics may be observed, they do not necessarily predict the child's future health or development. Ethical decisions regarding genetic testing and pregnancy are complex and personal.
Step-by-step explanation:
When a couple is expecting their first child, as in the case of Elena and Daris, there are countless decisions to be made that can affect the newborn's health. Consulting with a genetic counselor is beneficial for prospective parents who are over certain ages or have a family history of genetic disorders. This professional can shed light on the likelihood of the child being affected by such conditions.
The observation that what happens next does not guide therapy nor predict neurological outcomes in newborns suggests that while certain tests and observations can inform parents and healthcare providers about a newborn's current state, they are not definitive predictors of the child's future health or development. Understanding the baby's current health indicators, such as presence of vernix, lanugo, or head hair, and the proportion of body parts, are simply descriptive and not diagnostic of long-term outcomes.
Furthermore, ethical considerations surrounding prenatal genetic testing and the subsequent decisions are complex. Questions like whether to continue a pregnancy if the fetus has a serious genetic mutation are deeply personal and vary greatly depending on an individual's beliefs and values. It's clear that the process of ensuring a child's health begins long before birth and involves much consideration and sometimes difficult decision-making by parents.