Would you screen your kids for genetic diseases?
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by Aimee Keenan-Greene
A new study in the journal Pediatrics says as genetic tests become more common and available, parents want their kids checked for adult-onset health conditions.
Scientists say pediatricians should anticipate parents' interest in testing children and be prepared to help them make informed decisions.
Parents who were interviewed for the study said the benefits of pediatric testing outweigh its risks (positive decisional balance) and were moderately interested in pediatric testing.
Scientists say parents thought knowing what their child might face would mean less difficulty understanding their child's genetic health risks and help them have a more positive emotional reaction to learning about their child's decreased health risks (adjusted R2 = 0.33, P < .0001).
Researchers also discovered mothers are more willing to test than fathers.
Parents (n = 219) enrolled in a large, group-practice health plan were offered a "multiplex genetic test for susceptibility to 8 common, adult-onset health conditions and completed an online survey assessing attitudes and beliefs about the risks and benefits of the test for their child, their willingness to consider having their child tested, and other psychosocial variables.
Before medical testing, there is another tool to help people determine their genetic risks.
"Unfortunately, the US Surgeon General has found that less than 30 percent of Americans have tried to collect their family health history. Even fewer know how to use the information to improve their health and that of their loved ones. Because of this, we created Inherited Health," says Joanna Joaquina, Director of Genetics and Co-Founder.
"Through a series of basic questions, our family health history tool gathers users' medical and familial history, then analyzes that information to identify the family's disease risks and provide tailored guidelines about these risks. Users can easily invite family members to collaborate and supplement missing information, or print it for medical consultations to avoid repeatedly filling out family history forms. It also serves as an archive of the family health history for future generations.", Joaquina tells Examiner.
The U.S. Surgeon General also operates a free website in English, Spanish or Portuguese - that helps people create a family health history and share it electronically with relatives and doctors.
Log onto My Family Health Portrait .
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