Columnist: Parents should resist urge to test kids’ genes
March 3rd, 2008Children could be screened for genetic diseases, but parents should let them decide later. Why? Early detection doesn’t mean a cure, and there could be psychological risks.
Writing in the Los Angeles Times, Dr. Valerie Ulene makes the point that not all genetic information is beneficial and some can be toxic. More often than not, she says, testing for a genetic abnormality brings only anguish, as parents and children are given information that will not help them prevent a disease or delay its onset.
… parents must realize that detection doesn’t necessarily lead to a cure. Currently, our ability to treat genetic diseases lags well behind our ability to identify the genetic changes that cause them.
This entry was posted
on Monday, March 3rd, 2008 at 4:49 pm and is filed under cystic fibrosis, diabetes, genetics, parents.
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