Technology is advancing swiftly.
In Boston hospital Dr. Robert Green has been giving some new parents genome information on their new-born babies, that may inform the parents about medical conditions the parents might otherwise not know.
But there are ethical complications.
One of Dr. Green's infant patients was found to have an abnormality, BRCA2 gene. This gene indicates a substantially elevated risk of breast cancer.
But the baby acquired this problematic gene from the mother.
But hospital protocol is to disclose only medical information to the parents about the baby, because new born babies can't make medical decisions for themselves.
Is this a useful application of DNA screening?
What ethics protocols are needed here?
In Boston hospital Dr. Robert Green has been giving some new parents genome information on their new-born babies, that may inform the parents about medical conditions the parents might otherwise not know.
But there are ethical complications.
One of Dr. Green's infant patients was found to have an abnormality, BRCA2 gene. This gene indicates a substantially elevated risk of breast cancer.
But the baby acquired this problematic gene from the mother.
But hospital protocol is to disclose only medical information to the parents about the baby, because new born babies can't make medical decisions for themselves.
Is this a useful application of DNA screening?
What ethics protocols are needed here?