Clarifying the cause of death can save lives

MHH project aims to bring genetic diagnostics and counselling for relatives of unexpectedly deceased children and adolescents into standard care

Background research:

The MHH is an acronym for Hannover Medical School in Hanover, Germany. It is one of the world’s leading centers for biomedical research with a strong emphasis on interdisciplinary collaboration across various fields and departments.

Project: The project mentioned in the press release focuses on bringing genetic diagnostics and counselling into standard care for relatives of unexpectedly deceased children and adolescents. Such unfortunate events can often result from inherited or genetic disorders that were not diagnosed during life.

Genetic Diagnostics: Genetic diagnostics is a field within medicine that involves testing for specific inherited disorders. This typically involves taking a sample of blood, skin, hair, or other tissue and sending it to a lab where technicians look for specific changes in chromosomes, DNA, or proteins which may point to a genetic disorder.

Counselling: The goal of such counselling is often two-fold. First, it can help to improve quality of life for those affected by helping them understand their condition better and make informed decisions about their healthcare. Secondly, it can provide valuable information to family members who are at risk of passing these conditions onto their potential offspring.

FAQ:

1) What institution performs this project?
– Hannover Medical School (MHH) conducts this project.

2) What are the objectives behind carrying out this project?
– The main objective behind carrying out this initiative by MHH is to create accessible healthcare with integrated genetic diagnostics and counseling services as standard care; specifically intended for families dealing with sudden death cases among children or adolescents.

3) How could understanding the cause of death potentially save lives?
– Sometimes there might be unforeseen medical anomalies like genetic disorders responsible deaths among young people which go unnoticed if not properly diagnosed after death.
By introducing post-mortem genetics diagnostics as part of regular health service authorities will be able equip themselves against possible future recurrence within family lines thereby saving lives

4) Who benefits from Genetic Diagnostics?
– Besides answering pressing questions about an unexpected death, genetic diagnostics can also benefit the family members of the deceased. If an undiagnosed genetic disorder was inherited, family members will know their potential risks and can make choices accordingly.

5) Why is counselling included in this project?
– This is because coming to terms with unexpected loss as well as coping with the knowledge of possible inherited health risk is psychologically stressful. Counselling services thus act to guide and support such families during their grieving process while helping them understand their potential health risks better.

6) How does Genetic Diagnostics work?
– Genetic Diagnostics involves testing for specific markers in one’s DNA that point to certain inherited disorders. It typically involves taking a sample from a patient (such as blood or other tissue) and examining it for signs of said disorder.

7) Where can I find more information about this topic?
– The full press release can be found on the [MHH website](http://idw-online.de/de/news838810).

Originamitteilung:

MHH project aims to bring genetic diagnostics and counselling for relatives of unexpectedly deceased children and adolescents into standard care

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