Dr. Fuad Abdulla M. Ali

Dr. Fuad is Assistant Professor at Department of Pediatrics, Arabian Gulf University (AGU). He graduated and did his internship at King Saud University in Saudi Arabia in 1985 then got his Diploma of Child Health from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland in 1986. He did his pediatric residency at Salmaniya Medical Complex-Bahrain and received the Arab Board certificate in Pediatrics. He did one-year master in Clinical Genetics at the Institute of Child Health and Great Ormond Street Hospital for Sick Children – University of London and fellowship in Clinical Genetics, Diabetes and Endocrinology from King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center in Saudi Arabia. He received a Diploma in Health Care Management from the Ministry of Health and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.

Dr. Fuad worked as a consultant Clinical Geneticist at Salmaniya Medical Complex and Assistant Professor at Arabian Gulf University (AGU). His main experience is clinical dysmorphology in addition to general pediatrics. He was the head of the internship program at the Ministry of Health for more than 10 years as well as a member of the pediatric department council, CME and child protection committees.

He attended several conferences and workshops in general pediatrics, clinical genetics and medical education. Dr. Fuad has publications related mainly to reporting several clinical genetics cases, mapping the gene for Sanjad - Sakati syndrome, child abuse and neonatal jaundice in Bahrain.

Title of Presentation

Who is a possible candidate for preimplantation genetic testing? Examples of conditions from Bahrain

Preimplantation genetic testing includes Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) refers to when one or both genetic parents has a known genetic abnormality and testing is performed on an embryo through in vitro fertilization to determine if it also carries a genetic abnormality. In contrast, Preimplantation Genetic Screening (PGS) refers to techniques where embryos from presumed chromosomally normal genetic parents are screened for chromosomal abnormalities.

Primary candidates for PGD include mainly a carrier mother or affected father of X-linked recessive diseases, carrier parents of autosomal recessive diseases, affected couples of autosomal or X-linked dominant diseases and couples with balanced chromosome translocation.

Primary candidates for PGS include, advanced maternal age, history of recurrent pregnancy loss, repeated IVF failure and severe male factor infertility.

Other controversial indications include PGD for sex selection, late-onset disorders and cancer predisposition and PGD for HLA tissue typing to select embryos that is tissue match for a hematopoietic stem cell transplant.

The high percentage of consanguinity in Islamic communities and in Bahrain have resulted in a high incidence of autosomal recessive genetic disorders. Islamic teachings neither encourage nor discourage consanguinity; the matter is left to individual choice.

Even though informed premarital screening for some genetic disorders was mandatory since 2005 in Bahrain, still newly affected children will be born either by carrier parents married before the program or couple proceeded with marriage in spite of the results. In addition, several other genetic diseases are not included in the premarital screening program.

PGD/PGS can help eliminate some genetic diseases in the future, particularly those with no cure (e.g., sickle cell disease, cystic fibrosis etc.). The main advantage of PGD/PGS is that it avoids the choice of prenatal diagnosis and terminations of affected pregnancy. Muslim scholars approve PGD use as it involves a pre-embryo before it is implanted and prevent having a baby with genetic diseases.

In this presentation, I will discuss some ethical, religious and social issues related to PGD/PGS and I will present examples of some common and rare genetic conditions who may benefit from PGD in Bahrain.