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DNA SCREENING
FOR NEWBORN CHILDREN
Guillermo D.
Jalil, M.S.
Twenty-four hours after the
birth of a newborn child, many states mandate that the hospital prick
the heel of the baby for a blood sample. Why? They seek to obtain four
drops of blood unto a thin piece of blotter paper. The sample
is sent to a state laboratory for screening of certain diseases.
This test appears to be well-intended. Let's look at some of
the realities.
Consider the following
issues:
1. Many states store
the DNA for long term use. The state claims to remove the name
of your child from the sample. Many times, governments claim
to do things they cannot do in a consistent manner. They also
fail to follow their own rules and regulations. Anyone who has
experience in working within government, or any government funded
project, knows the internal craziness that is the norm.
2. Because of the
faltering economy, cost-cutting is in place. This may have
several unintended and unpredictable consequences. Quality
typically suffers. The lag time from the moment the test
sample is taken to the results may lengthen as budgets suffer.
3. DNA information is
not something that government seeks to throw away. As this is
written, there's a federal push to collect DNA samples from anyone
who has been arrested. Any DNA banked may be subpoenaed.
4. Organ donation may
shift from a personal election to a mandatory option. At the
moment, you must choose to donate organs. The default may
change to donating organs unless you go out of your way to say no.
This shift represents a loss of choice to some individuals who
prefer that persons should "opt in" rather than "opt out."
5. State laboratory
results takes up to a week or more. The State will not notify
your doctor unless there's a positive test result for the screening. Although the number of
screening for the newborns has increased, there are private
laboratories that do a better job. You deserve notice one way
or another. A private laboratory may provide you notice of a
positive or negative result of the screening, within seventy-two
hours.
6. Private
laboratories are able to screen for more diseases and provide a
quicker turnaround. If there are any presenting medical
issues, seventy-two hours is a much better turnaround time than a
week.
7. Insurance
companies enjoy a strong and cozy relationship with government at
all levels. It is possible that at some future time, those who
hold the DNA sample may share them with insurance companies.
Anything is possible. Greed is a powerful motivator.
8. State laboratories
usually contact your Pediatrician. Private laboratories will
contact the pediatrician and you (upon request). Private
laboratories provide you control over the sample, its handling, and
control over notification of the results.
9. Most states
"mandate" the test. If you refuse, the hospital will seek you
to sign a release. The release may warn you about not
conducting the test. The release may also say something such
as, "I know that there are risks with refusing this test, which may
result in permanent damage, or death." Consider writing
on the form, "I am not refusing the test. I prefer to test
with a private lab for faster and more accurate results than what is
offered by the State of ______."
10. Let's consider
what may happen twenty years from now. If your grown child is
involved in a situation where self-defense is required, do you want
his DNA to be spread far and wide at the scene? Without making
judgment calls, your child should always be afforded the best legal
defense. Logging your child's DNA may not be in his or her
best interests.
11. If your child
becomes politically active, DNA may be an issue. It was a DNA
stain that cornered Bill Clinton in the Monica Lewinsky scandal.
Many parents would like their child to become President one day.
If he does become President, would you like a dangling source of DNA
at the disposal of an underfunded state mandate? The
possibilities are endless. What if your child is a witness to
a crime committed by a Very Important Person? Twenty years
from now, your child's DNA may be used against him in ways that is
impossible to consider at this time. Play it safe and keep all
DNA samples under your control.
At BLUE DELTA, we seek to
protect your family's privacy and security. You are our first
priority. In a world filled with greed, violence, thievery,
jealousy and trouble, why make your child vulnerable to others?
Don't trust anyone unless you have a reason to trust them. And
sometimes, don't even trust yourself.
SOLUTIONS? WHAT
ARE THE SOLUTIONS?
Don't refuse the test!
The answer is to give notice to the hospital that you're not
refusing the test at all. In fact, you prefer to pay for a
private lab to run more screenings than what the state test
requires. On the release form the hospital asks you to sign,
write the following:
"I am not refusing to
screen my baby. I paid Lab X (Name of Laboratory) to perform a
private screening test for my baby. The turnaround time is
faster and they test for more diseases. This is not a
refusal."
Simply, send your test
sample to a private laboratory. 24 hours after the birth of
the newborn, ask your pediatrician to perform the heel prick
procedure. The Pediatrician or nurse will prick the heel of
the baby and place several drops of blood on the test paper.
The test sample is then sent off to the lab via UPS. Within a
couple of days, you receive the lab sample. Your pediatrician
receives the results as soon as possible. But you also may
elect to receive a copy of the results.
One such provider is
PerkinElmer Genetics,
Inc. They don't seek to replace the state mandated test.
Rather, they seek to supplement the test itself.
Contact them at the
following address:
PerkinElmer Genetics
90 Emerson Lane
Bridgeville, PA 15017
Phone: 412-220-2300
Toll Free: 866-463-6436
Fax: 412-220-0784
If anyone demands that the
state screening is done on your child, consider a private
laboratory and a higher quality of care. You have a right to
choose a private laboratory over the public option.
BLUE DELTA INVESTIGATIONS, LLC is not a licensed
healthcare provider. As a private investigation agency, we simply
recommend that you think twice before sharing your child's DNA sample
with public depositories and public laboratories. Always consider
what they future may hold. And sometimes, consider what you hadn't
considered possible.
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