(Garrison, NY) With whole genome sequencing quickly becoming
more affordable and accessible, we need to pay more attention to
the massive amount of information it will deliver to parents –
and the fact that we don't yet understand what most of it means,
concludes an article in the Hastings Center Report. The authors
are current or former scholars at the National Institutes of
Health's Department of Bioethics. Most analyses of the ethical
issues raised by whole genome sequencing have been "futuristic
forecasting," but the authors conclude that "this is problematic
given the speed with which whole genome sequencing is likely to
be incorporated into clinical care," as its price falls to under
$1,000. Prenatal whole genome sequencing differs from current
prenatal genetic testing practice in ethically relevant ways.
Most notably, whole genome sequencing would radically increase
the volume and scope of available prenatal genetic data. In
contrast with current tests, which identify serious genetic
conditions in fetu