Health Encyclopedia   Tests & Procedures  Clinical Genetic
Testing  Clinical Genetic Testing  Does this test have other
names?  Genetic screening, DNA test or testing, chromosomal
test, gene testing, DNA-based test   What is this test?  Genetic
testing is usually done to screen newborns, children, or adults
for inherited diseases or genes that put them at increased risk
for a certain disease. Some parents choose to be screened before
or during pregnancy to see whether they are carriers of a
certain disease, such as hemophilia.  Your genes are like a road
map: They hold the blueprint for all of your inherited traits,
from the color of your eyes to how tall you will grow.  But your
genes can also tell you whether you're at risk of inheriting a
disease, such as cystic fibrosis or Huntington disease. They can
even help tell your doctor how to tailor the right drugs for
your condition.  A genetics test can find out whether you have
damaged, missing, or overactive genes that can cause certain
diseases. This test sc