Parental duties and untreatable genetic conditions

Parental duties and untreatable genetic conditions.

This paper considers parental duties of beneficence and non-maleficence to use prenatal genetic testing for non-treatable conditions. It is proposed that this can be a duty only if the testing is essential to protect the interests of the child i.e. only if there is a risk of the child being born to a life worse than non-existence. It is argued here that non-existence can be rationally preferred...

Untreatable genetic disorders: to test or not to test.

Carphology 254 Carphology A Fo Ben Cover image Parkinson’s disease. Fluorescent deconvolution micrograph of a section through a brain affected by Parkinson’s disease. Neuron (nerve cell) nuclei are blue. The protein alpha-synuclein is red. It is thought that it is the accumulation of this protein that causes the progressive degeneration of the neurons that leads to the symptoms of Parkinson’s d...

The blurred distinction between treatable and untreatable conditions in newborn screening.

Newborn screening is increasingly possible for conditions that do not have medical treatments that must be provided early in order to be effective. This raises a fundamental question of what information should be disclosed to parents. Historically the potential for treatment has been essential before conditions are included in newborn screening. Here I argue that the distinction between treatab...

Genetic decision-making: parental responsibility.

Rights and Duties