The diseases that exist in our world are enough to make medicine and testing the only option of hope in times of need. People grow up happy and healthy, only to be diagnosed, in their middle age, with an adult-onset disease. These diseases only become a burden as the victim gets older. Some commonly known ones are Alzheimer’s or Huntington’s disease. There is no cure or treatment for adult-onset diseases like this. Knowing that the victims have these diseases written in their DNA from the moment they were born leads to an interesting argument. Several communities argue about whether parents or guardians should have the right to test their children for these diseases. There are many arguments, however, that stem from the social and ethical aspect of the effects it could have on the kids.
The arguments that are presented are understandable because every parent wants to do what is best for their child. However, the true question is whether or not it is actually their choice to make. Doctors constantly argue about the fact that deciding to test a child would “be denying him the chance to make the decision as an adult” (Klitzman). They are advised to allow their child to mature and make the decision when they are old enough. Choosing for them could be considered unethical because there is a chance the child may not want to know. The desire for testing children stems from the fact that parents hope they can “prevent disease and maintain a healthier lifestyle for their children” (Rochman). But how can you prevent a disease that hasn’t yet developed, especially without anything to assist. It seems wrong to push a kid into growing up knowing his or her life will be cut short by a disease, but there is nothing they can do about it. Lastly...
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...nts based on ethics and the social response they may receive.
Works Cited
Caga-anan, Carlisse F. "Testing Children for Adult-Onset Genetic Diseases." Testing Children for Adult-Onset Genetic Diseases. The American Academy of Pediatrics, 5 Dec. 2011. Web. 01 Feb. 2014. .
Klitzman, Robert, MD. "Virtual Mentor." VM. American Medical Association, Sept. 2009. Web. 01 Feb. 2014. .
Rochman, Bonnie. "Genetic Testing for Kids: Is It a Good Idea?" Time. Time, 18 Apr. 2011. Web. 01 Feb. 2014. .
"Testing Children for Genetic Status." Ama-assn.org. American Medical Association, 1995. Web. 2 Feb. 2014. .
...rrier. There are available tests you can take to determine the possibility of your children receiving the disease.
...ing. Moreover, if a treatment has the possibility of curing a child, but is unproven, even parents (who are eager to prolong the life of their children but lack the technical expertise to properly assess the risks involved) are not permitted to consent to it. Furthermore, Munson proposes that the IRB should be required to include outside experts to assess risks and benefits of experimental treatments.15
What are the risks and limitations of genetic testing?. (2014, April 21). Genetics Home Reference, Retrieved from http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/handbook/testing/riskslimitations
A. A. The "Best Possible Child" Journal of Medical Ethics 33.5 (2007): 279-283. Web.
Crichton does not like the fact that the cost of these tests is so high. What was once a free test resulted in an expensive test because of the companies who now hold our genes. For instance Crichton (441-442) gives an example of how a Canavan disease that is an inherited disorder affects children starting at 3 months; this often affected their ability to walk or crawl, they also get seizures and eventually they will become paralyzed and die at a young age. Unfortunately there was no test to tell parents if they were at risk, but with their help in starting a research they made a test. These families around the world donated their own tissue and money to help start this research. Eventually the gene was found in 1993, the families, then got the commitment of a New York hospital to offer a free test to anyone who wanted to be tested. However the researcher’s employer, patented the gene and refused to let any doctor provide this test to their patients without having to pay a ton. This made the parents views
When it comes to genetic diseases and conditions, testing can be very helpful and serve a good purpose. People with diseases that are inheritable to their children are encouraged to be tested. For example, in the article about Jewish testing, it says
First, let's consider the situations in which genetic testing would be beneficial to patients. Genetic testing for diseases that are preventable or treatable could allow individuals to alter their lifestyles so as to treat the disease or reduce their risk of developing the disease. For instance, the E2 version of the APOE gene, which is found on chromosome 19, has been linked to heart disease (Ridley, 1999). Individuals who have two copies of the E2 gene are particularly sensitive to high-fat and high-cholesterol diets. Therefore, a genetic test to determine whether a person has the high-risk version of the APOE gene could inform a person of future health risks, thereby allowing the person to change his diet to help prev...
Within the past thirty years, researchers have found strong evidence linking genes and disease. The development of predictive genetic tests followed shortly after the isolation of certain candidate genes. Although predictive genetic screening is only available for a handful of diseases, its effects and ramifications have become hotly debated issues in a wide range of areas, from government to religion. The debate began in the 1993 when researchers isolated the BRCA1 gene, which is associated with increased risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer. The discovery of this gene led to excitement and speculation of developing a predictive genetic test to identify those women at risk for these cancers. In this paper, I will first describe the biology of genetic testing, and then discuss the pros and cons of predictive genetic testing.
... Medicine. 3rd ed. Vol.3. Detroit: Gale, 2006.2139-2141. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 3 Apr. 2014.
Another ethical debate could be the ability to give informed consent. It can be argued that a child cannot fully be aware of what is happening until they reach a certain age (in South Australia, the age of medical consent is 16 years old) and therefore they cannot express their full informed consent for medical procedures until the age of 16 (MIGA, 2011). In any medical procedure, the patient must be informed about any risks and possible complications that may arise during the procedure and must be able to understand these risks and possible
The desire to have a "normal" child is held by every parent and only now are we beginning to have the ability to select for that child. In preparation to receiving genetic testing, the parents are required to meet with a genetic counselor. A detailed description of the testing methods are reviewed with the couple as well as the risks which are involved with each. Upon an understanding of the procedures, the counselor discusses the many possible outcomes which could be the result of the diagnosis. Finally, before any tests are performed, anxieties from either of the parents are addressed as well as the psychological well-being of the parents.
Parents now have the possibility of testing genes for mutations and genetic problems (BBC News).
The "Genetic Screening" Genetic Screening. NDSU,. Web. The Web. The Web.
Coughlin, S. S. (2002). Future challenges for research on diagnostic tests: genetic tests and disease prevention. Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, 56(5), 335-336. doi:10.1136/jech.56.5.335
(2) Even people that don 't have any disease could be more prepare, and prevent it from developing in the future by being more aware thanks to the genetic test provided. Genetic screening is another valuable technology that could help a parent keep track of their baby 's health by examining their chromosomes. Genetic testing and screening could impact the life all patients in a positive way, therefore the opposing side should be grateful, and take advantage of this opportunities provided. For example, a person goes to genetically test themselves in a clinic, and they come to find out that they could potentially develop heart problems in the future. Now they can be more aware, and prepared. They could in many different ways like changing their diet or exercising more so they could better protect their heart, and decrease the chances of having the heart problems, like they where presented in the genetic test. What if the person didn 't know they had a chance to have problems? and start eating unhealthy foods that could likely speed up their changes of developing a heart disease. My point is that the same thing goes to those parent who want to get a update of their unborn child 's health. Many healthy mother don 't really expect that their pregnancy will bring some implications, but in