Beneath fluorescent hospital lights, the yearning cries of a newborn child ring heavily through the air. While there is validity to be seen within the concept of genetic testing on infants itself, the act should not be enforced upon all citizens without their consent, as it is a personal decision holding various possible concerns, can potentially be a cause of psychological issues depending on the received results, and is overall unnecessary, considering less severe forms of informative genetic testing are already in place by American law. Many would argue that these various negative factors that play into an individual’s decision making process as to whether or not they wish for their children to be genetically tested at birth should …show more content…
(#8) Though the two may appear to be extremely similar, their technical definitions hold critical differences. Newborn screening refers to the process of using an infant’s blood sample to determine their susceptibility to a predetermined and standardized list of treatable disorders, all of which are thought to be of high risk. In contrast, genetic testing identifies a child’s entire genetic make-up, revealing more in-depth information regarding all diseases to which he or she may be prone in the future, regardless as to whether or not any precautions can be taken for said conditions. (#7) The standard procedure of newborn screening involves the nearly painless pricking of a baby’s heel to acquire a blood sample, which is then later analyzed …show more content…
As written by the American Academy of Pediatrics, “Emerging genetic technology often enables testing before the development of definitive treatments or preventive measures.” (11) Barbara Koenig, a UCSF bio-ethicist, also commented briefly on the frequent incurability of deficiencies presented within testing, stating that she feels informing parents of their children’s increased chances of developing late-onset disorders, currently lacking means of avoidance or cures, does much more harm than good. (3) Knowledge of this arguably irrelevant material can then, in turn, lead to anxieties and feelings of depression, though their intensities are, of course, entirely dependent upon both the person involved and the situation at hand, as it is, in a sense, an awareness of impending doom. Similar reactions can arise from a parental perspective, as well, and the recognition that an unfortunate hereditary trait has been passed down from one specific side of the family can lead to a dark and looming guiltiness: A valid emotion, regardless as to whether or not it is quite logical. (2) This introduces an entirely new issue, addressed using the official term, “Vulnerable Child Syndrome”, relating to the ways in which upbringing