Can parents handle finding out their newborn is at higher risk of certain diseases? A small study suggests they can
There’s a heated debate over whether to expand genomic sequencing to more newborns — especially about whether to sequence healthy babies. How will parents react to the results? The tests can turn out uncertain information — perhaps this child is at higher risk for a disease, but there’s no guarantee she’ll actually develop it — and families could worry, subjecting their child and the health system to unnecessary tests, appointments, and other care.
A new study has found some encouraging signs. When parents were surveyed about measures like how well they bonded with their children, their levels of distress, and even the parents’ relationships with one another, there were no meaningful differences for parents whose children had their genomes sequenced compared to those whose children underwent standard newborn screening.
