Preview

Pregnancy Genetic Testing

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
652 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Pregnancy Genetic Testing
Marshaee’ Knowles
Prenatal Genetic Testing

Many medical advances are being made today in the area of genetics. One of the most talked about is prenatal genetic testing. The purpose of prenatal genetic testing is to obtain information on a baby's health before they are born. This new technology will definitely improve the quality of human life. Diseases will be diminished and through new advances some diseases might even be eliminated. Children will be at less risk to have major health problems in their lives adding positively to their life experience. Prenatal genetic testing will also affects society as a whole.

Many people have a negative outlook on prenatal genetic testing but that is because they are not educated on the goals and actual applications of the technology. They feel that the technology may be abused. One fear is that insurance companies may obtain genetic records and deny service based on those records. But there are laws to protect people from such discrimination. People also fear that the means for genetically altering fetuses will soon be available. This technology is a long ways away if it is even obtainable. The morality of genetic testing is also being questioned but everyone is different and you cannot dictate what is moral for everyone in a democracy. Some religious extremists fear and avoid any modern medicine at all.

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

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Benefits of genetic testing are the results can provide answers whether they may be positive or negative.…

    • 825 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Tay Sachs Research Paper

    • 1245 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Genetic testing can also be performed on parents before they conceive a child to determine whether they are carriers of the disease. This would be especially important if both parents were from high-risk populations to prevent families from going through this horrible experience.…

    • 1245 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Human Genome project, a revolutionary study that spanned over 13 years, hoped to discover more about the DNA of humans. The study's main goal was to provide new information to help with the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of genetic disorders. From the substantial amount of information and knowledge acquired from the project, new ways to test for genetic disorders, and the probabilities of inheriting disorders was gained. Gene testing, which involved taking a sample of a persons DNA, helped screen for a number of different disorders and problems. Before genetic testing, couples at risk of conceiving a child with a particular genetic disorder would have to initiate the pregnancy and then undergo the testing, faced with the dilemma of terminating the birth if the results weren't good. But because of the new technology available, with the combined effort of IVF, sperm and egg cells can be removed from both individuals, and the eggs would then be fertilized within a laboratory. The embryo's would then be tested for genetic mutations,…

    • 701 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Years ago it was impossible to determine if your unborn baby would have any physical, mental or genetic condition. At that time parents could do nothing more then just wait for the end of pregnancy to see how their baby would be and what gender it would be. Technology has gone forward since that time and now there is a vast possibility for parents to know before hand any conditions that the child might have. However having this “weapon” in their hands does it mean that the parents should use it?…

    • 949 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Genetic testing has potential benefits, such as you can see if your chromosomes are positive for a genetic mutation. Test results can provide a sense of relief from uncertainty about having a mentally or physical ill child because no one wants that for your child. They also help people make informed decisions about managing their health care. For example, a negative result for the mutation can eliminate the need for unnecessary checkups and screening tests in some cases. A positive result, having the mutation, can direct a person toward available prevention, monitoring, and treatment options. Some test results can also help people make decisions about having children. Newborn screening can identify genetic disorders early in life so treatment can be started as early as possible.…

    • 632 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Genetic modification is becoming closer and closer to an everyday possibility. With this possibility comes a whirlwind of possible effects, both positive and negative. There has been a history of opposition towards these technologies, oftentimes because of fear that the capabilities would be abused. However, the potential that newborns could be born free of hereditary diseases outweighs the fear of “designer babies”.…

    • 189 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Some of the pros include providing a sense of relief to parents who are concerned and uncertain of the possibility of their child having a disorder (if the test is negative), if it is bad news, at least the parents can be prepared mentally as to what they can be faced with. Early detection is key, if detected early, a plan can be set in place as to the future doctor's appointments, accommodations for the child, and possible surgeries if needed to plan ahead. Also, if diagnosed early, appropriate treatment can be given to the fetus before and after birth if necessary (Lea, Williams & Donahue, 2005, pp. 234-240). Genetic conditions often run in the family, defective genes may be carried from generation to generation whether physically present or not. Information gathered from testing can also help members of the family to be on high alert when planning for children of their own (Kuehn, 2008, pp. 1637-1639). The "Prenatal Genome Testing Sparks Debate" article describes another pro although difficulty to consider, as the parents having the choice to terminate the pregnancy if they feel that the responsibility of their baby's condition is too much (2008). On the other hand, some of the cons include creating anxiety for the parents because of the testing and the results to come. But as mentioned above, one of the problems with genetic and prenatal testing is that it gives false results. The person has to know going into the test that there is a possibility that a negative test can turn out to be positive and that a positive test can turn out to be negative (Schmitz, 2013, pp. 357-364). Another con is the view on terminating the pregnancy if indeed the child has an abnormality. Especially religious groups feel that regardless of chromosomal abnormalities, terminating is not right. This can also cause trouble between the mother and father as well (Schmitz, 2013, pp. 357-364). As mentioned above, the cost of…

    • 1673 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Since the test involves taking only a small blood sample, where a person’s DNA can be found, these tests have a minimal health risk. Genetic testing was initially used in pregnancies to test for diseases like Down's Syndrome and other genetic disorders (“What are the...”). However, thanks to more recent improvements, genetic testing has come to display several weaknesses and strengths. The genes that can be obtained from infants can notify parents of possible physical deficiencies, while others may show physical advantages (Stein).…

    • 478 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Preimplantation diagnosis

    • 401 Words
    • 2 Pages

    In the article “Where are we going with preimplantation genetic diagnosis?”, Timothy Krahn outlines the future implications of a ruling made by the United Kingdom’s Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority (HFEA), and the effect it may have on Canadian’s normative culture. Krahn begins by introducing the Assisted Human reproduction act, which received royal assent on 29th March 2009. Structured and influenced largely on the regulations of the HFEA, decisions made in the UK are naturally transferred and integrated into Canada’s policy.…

    • 401 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    From a patient’s perspective, people tend to see genetic information as more definitive, in the sense that 'you cannot change your genes' and that 'genes tell all about your future.’ Such genetic determinism is an oversimplification and does not take into account the nature of biologic pathways. From a provider’s perspective, genomics presents challenges with respect to ethical and professional responsibilities, including the appropriate use of genomic information in the health care setting. I believe that there should be an identification of provider education programs that increase use of appropriate screening, counseling and evidence-based genetic tests. By increasing the effectiveness of genomic testing, it will help dissolve the negative association and further increase the proportion of people who are willing to receive genetic…

    • 463 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The topic I choose to cover for the Future of Eugenics is Pre-Implantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD). PGD is and will be used in the future of Eugenics to create almost the “fittest” or perfect baby before they are even born. The structure of DNA was discovered in the 1950s, and since then several of genes has been identified as well as genetic disorders, which lead us to PGD. “Pre-implantation genetic diagnosis is a technique used to identify genetic defects in embryos created through in vitro fertilization (IVF) before pregnancy” (Dayal 1).…

    • 1034 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Biology

    • 696 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Genetic testing can cause either a feeling of relief or anxiety, depending on the outcome of the test results. Ultimately, testing provides individuals with an opportunity to seek genetic counselling so that the risk of inheriting a genetic disease may be reduced. Testing can lessen the anxiety of not knowing the possibility of developing a disease and provide a tremendous sense of relief once a definitive test result is given. An individual who chooses to undergo testing has the opportunity to seek medical help, prepare for, and possibly help prevent, a genetically caused condition. Testing can help people to make more informed decisions about their future.…

    • 696 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Eugenics can have an upside to human life. Eugenics can be used to assess a child’s medical needs. Parents already know the particular DNA makeup of their unborn child, which allows them to be prepared to meet the medical needs of that…

    • 938 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    As research continues to uncover new disease-causing mutations, the prospect of stopping the transmission of heritable diseases increases. With the use of modern technology, expecting parents can now be prescreened in order to determine their carrier status for certain diseases. Parents who choose to use in vitro fertilization are able to choose embryos that are free of disease due to preimplantation genetic diagnosis. Additionally, parents can be provided with information on their unborn child with the use of prenatal genetic testing. Some individuals view modern genetic technology as eugenic; however, this biggest difference between eugenics now and eugenics during the 1900s is consent. Today individuals pursue genetic testing by choice and policies on ethics and consent prevent reoccurrences of the immoral endeavors within the field of…

    • 585 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Though there are tests and testing facilities that do the genetic tests, prenatal genetic testing is not accessible to all at-risk or concerned families expecting a baby. Government funding should be put towards prenatal genetic testing to increase accessibility to testing facilities, discover more testing forms, and give more autonomy to physicians. With these improvements, low income-families and anyone with a family history of genetic diseases can find out and prepare for any irregularities before the baby is…

    • 846 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays