Down Syndrome Ethical Dilemmas

   The Human Genome Project is the largest scientific endeavor undertaken since the Manhattan Project, and, as with the Manhattan Project, the completion of the Human Genome Project has brought to surface many moral and ethical issues concerning the use of the knowledge gained from the project. Although genetic tests for certain diseases have been available for 15 years (Ridley, 1999), the completion of the Human Genome Project will certainly lead to an exponential increase in the number of genetic tests available. Therefore, before genetic testing becomes a routine part of a visit to a doctor's office, the two main questions at the heart of the controversy surrounding genetic testing must be

The medical advances being made feasible by genetic testing are very exciting. It is possible for people with predispositions for genetic defects to know in advance if they will have a healthy child or not. If they find out there is a problem they can choose to terminate the pregnancy or they can prepare in advance for their child's special needs. There is even new technology called Ex Utero genetic testing. This test is performed on eggs fertilized through in vitro fertilization before they are even put in the mother's uterus. Understanding genes in the developing human will help doctors understand the nature of genetic diseases and may lead to countless other medical breakthroughs. Though it is probably a long way off doctors may one day be able to manipulate genes. If this is possible some genetic problems may be cured.

It is patients’ right to opt for genetic testing on their own DNA, although they are accepting a great risk by doing so.

Hwang, S.W., Chambers, C., Chiu, S., Katic, M., Kiss, A., Redelmeier, D.A., & Levinson, W.

Marcovitch, S. G., Gold, A., Washington, J., Wasson, C., Krekewich, K., & Handley-Derry, M. (1997).

As you can see genetic testing is very important and can affect a child's and parents lives for the better and the worst. Children all over the world have serious genetic diseases that affect their life on a daily. Some of these diseases are Achondroplasia, Down syndrome, and Turner's syndrome. Many believe genetic testing is a good way to test for these genetic conditions before the child is even born, but others think that it can harm the baby very badly and even cause a miscarriage, so they choose not to do this kind of testing. Knowing about the most serious genetic diseases is very important for expecting parents to be informed as well as being

Schmidt, S. W., Shelley, M. C., Bardes, B. A., Maxwell, W. E., Crain, E., & Santos, A. (2010).

There are two main ways genetic testing places a constraint on a child’s right to an open future. The first of these is that the revelation of a child’s disease status can change his life narrative and the way parents and others treat him, and substantially alter his or her life’s trajectory (Davis _____). Parents may feel guilty or shelter their not-yet-sick

Genetic testing is a medical test of one’s DNA that identifies changes in chromosomes, genes, or proteins. The results of a genetic test can confirm or rule out a suspected genetic condition which can help determine an individual's chance of developing or passing on a genetic disorder. In addition, knowing one’s genetic code can help individuals improve their wellness, prevent the onset of diseases they are at risk for, or lessen the harmfulness of diseases they do contract. NOVA’s documentary on PBS, “Cracking Your Genetic Code” demonstrates what exactly genetic testing is, how genetic testing is performed, and in addition the film showed stories about some individuals that have benefited from these special DNA techniques. The film plot focuses

Smith, R. J., Kilaru, A. S., Perrone, J., Paciotti, B., Barg, F. K., Gadsden, S. M., & Meisel, Z. F.

Often, with the discovery of knowledge come difficult questions, thorny ethical issues, and unintended consequences. Armed with this new ability to sequence human genes, science grabbed medicine by the hand and charged into uncharted territory. Could we now “personalize” medicine?

Marsh, A. A., Finger, E. C., Fowler, K. A., Adalio, C. J., Jurkowitz, I. T. N., Schechter, J. C., Pine,

The book The Personalized Medicine Revolution: How Diagnosing and Treating Disease are About to Change Forever is an interesting journey through the evolution of our scientific knowledge and subsequent technologies followed by a final foray into the most current accomplishments in personalized medicine and where it’s going.

The idea of genetic testing has made a lot of people happy because scientists are moving forward at being able to predict future health problems. Sometimes, as little as careful medical supervision and lifestyle changes could help people avoid illness. In the future, scientists hope for treatment that will correct genetic errors. However, there are some disorders that do not have treatment available yet. There are also some fears that come along with genetic testing such as it being used for human breeding to encourage traits that individuals want or to prevent ones that they do not want (“Genetic

The first of these issues is the fact that genetics testing has many limitations, some tests struggle to identify the type of gene alteration has been found, it could be anything from Huntington’s disease to down syndrome and a failure to properly diagnose can lead to a mistrust of medical professions not to mention a large personal impact (Lea D 2011). The next issue is the potential for discrimination presented