Genetic aspects in health of mother and child (medical genetic care in Republic of Moldova)

Abstract

Understanding genetics and its impact on health can assist in family planning, monitoring during pregnancy, and making decisions about childbirth and childcare. In Republic of Moldova, the medical genetic service plays a crucial role in providing genetic counseling, screening, and testing for hereditary conditions. These services can help early identify genetic disorders, providing valuable information to future parents about the risks for their children. Cooperation with obstetricians and geneticists is essential to ensure appropriate care receiving for women with genetic conditions during pregnancy, including monitoring for potential complications and making informed choices about prenatal testing options. Approximately 8185 individuals are consulted yearly by a geneticist in Institute of Mother and Child. From 2021 to 2023, there was a slight increase in the number of consultations, but it did not reach the level of 2019. The laboratory demonstrated fluctuating efficiencies across different cytogenetics, biochemical and molecular genetic studies from 2019 to 2023. The total number of genetic analyses in 2023 has increased. This indicated the restoration of the healthcare system and an increase in patient requests for genetic studies following the peak pressures associated with COVID-19. There was a significant rebound and growth in many areas by 2023, especially in the methods of molecular genetic technique. The introduction of new diagnostic categories e.g., somatic mutations, suggests an adaptive approach to evolving research needs.