[The lag of genetic counseling in Mexico].

Genetic counseling is the process of advising indivduals, partners and families affected by or at risk of genetic disorders to help them understand and adapt to the medical, psychological, social, family and reproductive implications of a genetic condition. Given the expansion of precision medicine and the recent increase in the use of molecular diagnostic tests, it is necessary to have duly certified personnel in our environment to perform it. In Mexico, unlike other countries, the figure of the genetic counselor is not formally recognized, which is why geneticists doctors give this advice within the healthcare context (as part of the outpatient consultation).

[Insights about uncertainty in genetic counseling].

Genetic counseling is an information process to help people in the understanding and adaptation to the medical, psychological and family implications of the genetic contribution in diseases. This counseling encompasses all sorts of patients. This represents a challenge in the daily work of the medical geneticist, because giving information in a meaningful way to the patient and his family implies an emotional and psychological burden.

[The role of the medical geneticist in the pediatric consultation].

The work of the medical geneticist is, from the clinical point of view, scarcely known. His healthcare-related activity requires close collaboration with specialists in different fields; hence, it is vital for the physician directly in charge of the patient to have at hand some useful recommendations in order to make care provided by the multidisciplinary team efficient and timely. The purpose of this paper is to outline some of the professional features of medical genetics specialists and to describe, in general terms, the work in clinical genetics, as well as to inform first contact clinicians - especially pediatricians - about the clinical and imaging studies they should order for patients with the most common congenital conditions before referring them for diagnostic or genetic counseling.