JScreen
JScreen80% of babies with genetic diseases are born to parents with no known family history of that disease. Early genetic screening is an important step in planning for a healthy family, and allows you to take control and make choices about your future.
Everyone wants a healthy baby – and planning for a bright future starts before you decide to become pregnant.
What it means to be a carrier
Being a carrier of a genetic disease means that even though you or your partner do not show symptoms, you can still pass that disease to your child. If you and your partner are both carriers of the same disease gene, each of your children has a 25% chance of being born with the disease itself.
We’re here to help you plan for a healthy family!
Jews and Genetic Disease: Why testing for genetic disorders is important if you have Jewish ancestry
We detect nearly two times as many carriers in people of Ashkenazi Jewish descent compared with the general population.
Since diseases in the Jewish community have been extensively studied, we are much better at testing for genetic diseases with a high prevalence in the Jewish community. This also means we have advanced the ability to help families plan for the healthiest possible futures for their children. If you and your partner are both carriers for the same disease, our genetic counselors will provide information and direct you to resources that will help ensure the best possible outcomes for your children.
Ethnicity and Genetic Disease: Genetic Disease Risk Assessment
My ethnicity is:
Everyone is at risk for being a carrier of a genetic disease:
| Diseases | All populations | Ashkenazi Jewish | Northwestern Europe | Hispanic | African American | Eastern Asia | South Asia | Southern Europe | Middle East | South East Asia | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gaucher disease | 1 in 78 | 1 in 16 | 1 in 110 | 1 in 191 | 1 in 170 | 1 in 113 | 1 in 679 | 1 in 83 | 1 in 324 | 1 in 112 |
| 2 | Cystic Fibrosis | 1 in 30 | 1 in 27 | 1 in 26 | 1 in 45 | 1 in 92 | 1 in 224 | 1 in 52 | 1 in 31 | 1 in 70 | 1 in 17 |
| 3 | Tay-Sachs disease | 1 in 171 | 1 in 30 | 1 in 290 | 1 in 563 | 1 in 1973 | 1 in 300 | 1 in 300 | 1 in 246 | 1 in 394 | 1 in 300 |
| 4 | Familial Dysautonomia | 1 in 325 | 1 in 31 | 1 in 750 | 1 in 500 | 1 in 500 | 1 in 500 | 1 in 500 | 1 in 500 | 1 in 974 | 1 in 500 |
| 5 | Spinal Muscular Atrophy | 1 in 55 | 1 in 41 | 1 in 48 | 1 in 66 | 1 in 100 | 1 in 72 | 1 in 70 | 1 in 41 | 1 in 59 | 1 in 142 |
| 6 | Canavan disease | 1 in 342 | 1 in 55 | 1 in 477 | 1 in 1415 | 1 in 2591 | 1 in 500 | 1 in 500 | 1 in 500 | 1 in 500 | 1 in 500 |
| 7 | ABCC8 hyperinsulinism | 1 in 678 | 1 in 68 | 1 in 112 | 1 in 112 | 1 in 112 | 1 in 112 | 1 in 112 | 1 in 112 | 1 in 112 | 1 in 112 |
| 8 | Glycogen Storage disease Type 1a | 1 in 318 | 1 in 71 | 1 in 374 | 1 in 623 | 1 in 177 | 1 in 1819 | 1 in 177 | 1 in 319 | 1 in 862 | 1 in 177 |
| 9 | Fanconi Anemia | 1 in 568 | 1 in 90 | 1 in 723 | 1 in 158 | 1 in 158 | 1 in 158 | 1 in 158 | 1 in 158 | 1 in 158 | 1 in 158 |
| 10 | Joubert syndrome | 1 in 732 | 1 in 92 | 1 in 500 | 1 in 500 | 1 in 500 | 1 in 500 | 1 in 500 | 1 in 500 | 1 in 500 | 1 in 500 |
| 11 | Lipoamide Dehydrogenase deficiency | 1 in 500 | 1 in 94 | 1 in 500 | 1 in 500 | 1 in 500 | 1 in 500 | 1 in 500 | 1 in 500 | 1 in 431 | 1 in 500 |
| 12 | Maple Syrup Urine disease | 1 in 518 | 1 in 97 | 1 in 635 | 1 in 250 | 1 in 250 | 1 in 250 | 1 in 250 | 1 in 250 | 1 in 862 | 1 in 250 |
| 13 | Niemann Pick disease | 1 in 658 | 1 in 100 | 1 in 250 | 1 in 842 | 1 in 1272 | 1 in 250 | 1 in 2036 | 1 in 250 | 1 in 250 | 1 in 250 |
| 14 | Usher syndrome Type 1 | 1 in 194 | 1 in 100 | 1 in 194 | 1 in 194 | 1 in 194 | 1 in 194 | 1 in 194 | 1 in 194 | 1 in 194 | 1 in 194 |
| 15 | Mucolipodosis IV | 1 in 668 | 1 in 100 | 1 in 500 | 1 in 500 | 1 in 500 | 1 in 500 | 1 in 500 | 1 in 500 | 1 in 500 | 1 in 500 |
| 16 | Nemaline Myopathy | 1 in 500 | 1 in 108 | 1 in 500 | 1 in 500 | 1 in 500 | 1 in 500 | 1 in 500 | 1 in 500 | 1 in 500 | 1 in 500 |
| 17 | Bloom syndrome | 1 in 500 | 1 in 110 | 1 in 500 | 1 in 2103 | 1 in 2544 | 1 in 500 | 1 in 500 | 1 in 500 | 1 in 500 | 1 in 500 |
| 18 | Usher syndrome Type 3 | 1 in 681 | 1 in 120 | 1 in 500 | 1 in 500 | 1 in 500 | 1 in 500 | 1 in 500 | 1 in 500 | 1 in 500 | 1 in 500 |
| 19 | Walker-Warburg syndrome | 1 in 500 | 1 in 150 | 1 in 500 | 1 in 500 | 1 in 500 | 1 in 500 | 1 in 500 | 1 in 500 | 1 in 500 | 1 in 500 |
Never heard of these? You’re not alone. These diseases may be individually rare, but collectively the risk is significant. Everyone is at risk for being a carrier of a genetic condition. Click here to view more information on some diseases that are more commonly found in the Jewish population.
