Are We Prepared for the Hard Choices That Prenatal Genetic Tests Could Force on Expectant Parents? | MIT Technology Review
▻http://www.technologyreview.com/review/522661/too-much-information
The catch, though, is that as the accuracy of these tests continues to improve, they will be able to detect a greater range of genetic variations, including some with murkier implications. For example, rather than indicating something with certainty, they could reveal elevated risks for certain diseases or disorders. These advances could collide with the politics of abortion and raise the ugly specter of eugenics. When, if ever, should parents terminate pregnancies on the basis of genetic results? Do we have the wisdom to direct our own evolution? And perhaps most important, are there limits to how much data parents should have—or want to have—about their children before birth?
Nevertheless, that information is coming, and parents will have to figure out what they want to know and how to interpret the choices they’re offered. It is critical, then, that the informed–consent process for testing be exceptionally good, says Greely. Ideally, parents should meet with a genetic counselor to discuss what exactly testing might reveal and what wrenching decisions might follow. If formal genetic counseling isn’t available, obstetricians should step in with extended, thorough conversations that take into account the parents’ values, desire for data, and tolerance for uncertainty. Genetic testing, as Greely puts it, should be made distinct from other forms of prenatal care; it should never be “just one more tube of blood” taken in the course of another whirlwind visit to the doctor.