Perinatal Genetic Counseling Clinic

The clinic provides genetic counseling and is designed for women and couples who need/are interested in medical information about the risk of disease or fetal abnormalities. The clinic also provides information about the nature of these issues as well as information about possibilities for diagnosis and treatment of the fetus and newborn. The objective is to allow women and couples to make educated decisions about continuing the pregnancy and delivery process or make decisions prior to pregnancy.

The counseling is provided by Prof. Arie Drugan, a gynecologist who specializes in medical genetics and prenatal diagnosis of fetal abnormalities. He has a great deal of experience in the field of gynecogenetics.

Who needs genetic counseling:

• Before performing amniocentesis or CVS due to increased risk of chromosomal or structural fetal abnormalities: 
• When the mother is over 35. 
• When the risk of Down syndrome is higher than 1:380 based on the triple/quadruple test or integrated test, or when the risk of Down syndrome is higher than 1:200 in the first trimester screening. 
• When the nuchal translucency screening is greater than 3 mm or when the ultrasound findings in the anatomy scan indicate a potential problem with the fetus. 
• When the couple are known carriers of a genetic disease. 
• When the couple are related (second- or first-degree cousins). 
• Couples with a history of a genetic disease in their immediate family (parents, brother or sister). In families in which there are marriages between relatives, genetic counseling is required, even when dealing with persons who are less closely related or multiple cases of a specific disease. 
• Couples who have a child with a genetic disease or a congenital defect. 
• Couples who had to terminate a previous pregnancy due to a chromosomal problem, genetic disease or structural abnormality of the fetus. 
• Suspicion of infection with a viral disease (such as CMV) at the beginning of the pregnancy. 
• After intrauterine fetal death. 
• Couples who have had multiple miscarriages (3 or more). 
• Prior to Pre-Gestational Diagnosis (PGD). 
• Family history of breast and ovarian cancer, with suspected carrying the BRCA gene. 
• At the discretion of and referral by the attending physician in the community.

How can we schedule an appointment?

To schedule an appointment for genetic counseling, you must call the hospital's appointment call center at 04-7744252.

Come to the clinic with a referral from the attending physician and a financial commitment form from the medical insurer (women over the age of 35 at the time of their last period, who are referred for counseling prior to amniocentesis or CVS, are entitled to counseling at the expense of the Ministry of Health).

For counseling that is not included in the health basket - the service will be provided for a fee.

The clinic is part of the Obstetrics and Gynecology outpatient clinics, in the hospital's outpatient clinics area, ground floor, Inpatient Building A, on Mondays and Thursdays.