Posted on 02/07/2010 6:44:02 AM PST by lost in the snow
(CNN) -- When Annie Brown's daughter, Isabel, was a month old, her pediatrician asked Brown and her husband to sit down because he had some bad news to tell them: Isabel carried a gene that put her at risk for cystic fibrosis.
While grateful to have the information -- Isabel received further testing and she doesn't have the disease -- the Mankato, Minnesota, couple wondered how the doctor knew about Isabel's genes in the first place. After all, they'd never consented to genetic testing.
It's simple, the pediatrician answered: Newborn babies in the United States are routinely screened for a panel of genetic diseases. Since the testing is mandated by the government, it's often done without the parents' consent, according to Brad Therrell, director of the National Newborn Screening & Genetics Resource Center.
In many states, such as Florida, where Isabel was born, babies' DNA is stored indefinitely, according to the resource center.
Many parents don't realize their baby's DNA is being stored in a government lab, but sometimes when they find out, as the Browns did, they take action. Parents in Texas, and Minnesota have filed lawsuits, and these parents' concerns are sparking a new debate about whether it's appropriate for a baby's genetic blueprint to be in the government's possession.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
Ugly stuff.
When did this begin? Does anyone know?
Bush signed this one. I forget what its called.
Yikes...
Is Obamas on file in Kenya?
“ The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized. "
I really, really, really have distrust for our so-called government. Nothing but a bunch of g.d. traitors!
I wonder how this got passed and what the rational was?
The rationale was “we have to do it for the children”. Typical excuse for government tyrany.
Was this a CDC request?
Having the DNA on file will eventually help them to determine which babies to forcibly exterminated without the parents’ consent. They’ll see a high risk of disease, poison the uterus, and then tell the mother “I’m sorry but you’ve had a miscarriage”.
WORTH REPEATING!
Thanks for posting.
This much touted computerizing of medical records has much the same risk. Under Obamacare the death panels could have a new tool, your DNA, if you have a genetic disposition to say cancer your “treatment” would be adjusted to be cost effective. Why treat or even test for cancer if you are going to get it anyway. No different than the Nazis who did not want to waste resources for treating or caring for those who were inferior.
The state has an overriding interest in protecting these children because it is paternalistic.
If the state had not over time become the father of all of the state’s children it would not need to worry about the welfare of these children because their parents would be the ones responsible for their welfare.
OK government; get out of our lives and let use worry about our children.
While most people believe that is a completely ridiculous thing to say they are going to do, there's no denying that this is one more step in that direction.........
If you join the Armed Forces, your DNA will be kept on file. I’m not sure what happens to it once you leave the Armed Forces.
I'm sure that this information is to "round out" the files that 0bama's Death Panels would need to decide whether you are allowed treatment or euthanasia.
in some states(like here in the People’s Republic Of MN)
it’s been going on for a while...
MN Commissioner of Health Lobbies for Intrusive “DNA Warehouse” Legislation
http://www.cchconline.org/dnalegislativearchives.php3
Brave New World or 1984?
When did this begin? Does anyone know?
Ummmm..., compliments of President George Bush signing the bill into law...
Last week President Bush signed into law a bill S. 1858, known as The Newborn Screening Saves Lives Act of 2007 which will allow the federal government to begin to screen the DNA of all newborn babies in the U.S. within six months. This is a move by the government to initiate the establishment of a national DNA database. (Wasn't there an episode of X-File like this?) The justification for this law is that it represents preparation for any sort of "public health emergency." The bill states that the federal government should "continue to carry out, coordinate, and expand research in newborn screening" and "maintain a central clearinghouse of current information on newborn screening... ensuring that the clearinghouse is available on the Internet and is updated at least quarterly". Like we want that information on the Internet too right?
I suspect this will weaken arguments against police collecting DNA from suspects.
Leaving aside the “gov’t lab keeping my kids’ DNA” part, which I agree is not necessary and is probably illegal, I would like to weigh in on the medical usefulness of newborn screening. There are many metabolic disorders such as hypothyroidism which are easily treated, but treatment must start before sympotoms appear because symptoms are due to brain damage. For example, we used to call congenital hypothyroidism “cretinism” which should give you an idea of the effects. Another example is PKU — by the time the infant is showing any symptoms of the disorder is is too late — irreversible brain damage has already occurred. (PKU is the result of an inability to break down an amino acid (phenylalanine), which is found in the protein of common foods like milk, eggs, etc. Left untreated, PKU causes mental, motor, and growth retardation, microcephaly (very small brain), and seizures. With early detection and proper dietary treatment, growth and development should be normal.) There are many other metabolic disorders that may be similarly managed. With any medical test, there are two ways you can be wrong — a false negative (says you don’t have it when you do) and a false positive. With “screening” tests, because you don’t want to miss any cases, the test is set to have a high “false positive” rate and so you need to test again with a “diagnostic” test.
I suspect this will weaken arguments against police collecting DNA from suspects.
Yep..., the government, authorities and businesses are all "chomping at the bit" to gather all the information they can about everything and track people everywhere and know every last thing you do.
I was reading about the RFID chips and how some companies are saying that they are going to get to a point (with RFID chips, and the accompanying infrastructure that will go along with it) -- so that they will know exactly when you take off the top from your toothpaste, when you go to brush your teeth. And no... that wasn't a joke... it was said in all seriousness... (yeah... imagine that...).
Talking about medical treatments and what doctors and/or hospitals or governments do with the information — it’s come to the day, now, that when you see the doctor coming towards you... you don’t know, any longer, whether he is coming to treat and help you — or — to kill you...
It starts with the unborn kids and the old people, and then they push in the boundaries of “killing you” — closer and closer towards the middle portion of the population... Unfortunately true, these days...
It looks like it’s S. 1858 Newborn Screening Saves Lives Act of 2007
Thanks for the link, information.
It's still maintained. Last summer, I found that every document in my active duty medical records had been "lost", except for the DNA.
Thanks for the info.
I came from a family who was secretive to the extreme, sharing absolutely nothing with the "younger" members of the family. They were all apparently terrified of making skeletons in the family known, is my suspicion.
Bottom line, I will never have a grasp of the medical histories of both branches of my family. Not even the government can help me and, after a certain age, the only way to learn of a predisposition to a disease is to come down with it.
In most instances that is too late for any positive preventive planning, testing and monitoring.
Make your choices and take your chances, I suppose.
Personally, I see this whole societal panic attack as the fear of knowing; the ostrich syndrome.
Coupled with the fear that medical insurance might never be available for preexisting conditions, or predisposition to certain serious diseases.
Insurance was "invented" at a time when statistical study was the only way to determine risk. Perhaps the time has come to redefine the entire concept of "insurance."
First order of business: which template will be chosen?
Will it be truly insurance?
Or Welfare by another creative name?
Tennessee has joined several other states in trying to pass a Health Care Freedom Act. NO COLAs for granny, retired Military or retired fed employees. BIG NEW fees for Tricare for Life retired over 65 Military's secondary health ins. (DOD bill already passed, delayed but goes into effect 2011)
New Dem mantra: Woof, woof eat dog food granny....ala let them eat cake.
Yes there is a usefulness to the screening but it should not be done behind the parents backs and the information locked up and kept indefinably.
The parents should make this decision, they are the ones who are suppose to be responsible for the child. Again it is the government usurping the parental authority and rights. As for keeping the information, to what end does the government need this. No good can come of it.
If the testing is important, let doctors handle it. No need for govt to get involved. Just about sll babies are born in hospitals, which tend to have doctors in them. They would test even without govt doing it. Govt is NOT doing it to help people. BOTH FRIKKIN PARTIES know what they are up to. and it is NOT to ensure our liberty. Quite the opposite. THERE IS NO good REASON FOR THE GOVT TO DO THIS! None. If dos see someone not breathing, do they need the govt to tell them what to do? Does the govt need to tell docs how to care for babies? It’s all a crock. You are fooling yourselves thinking it is only Obama who is out to get you.
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