Big Brother
The government has your baby’s DNA.
Remember, I do this to entertain me, not you.
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February 8th, 2010 at 10:27 am
They are doing it for your own good so smile bend over and enjoy it. Why does the government need to know what genetic diseases your baby could have? Just curious.
February 8th, 2010 at 11:25 am
Because the diseases they test for are quite serious, resulting in the death or profound mental retardation of the affected individual – unless treatment starts almost immediately after birth. With a disease like galactosemia,simply feeding a special formula and not feeding milk will minimize the effects of the disease, with PKU eliminating phenylalanine from the diet and correcting blood pH can prevent the mental retardation and death of the patient.
It’s good for the patient. It’s good for the family. How would you like to know that the food, especially breast milk, you or your spouse have been feeding your infant is responsible for his retardation?)
And since the state winds up caring for these profoundly disabled children (they become unmanageable by most families) the state has a financial interest in preventing them from happening in the first place.
February 8th, 2010 at 1:14 pm
Fighterdoc, I’d like to point out this bit:
While I don’t doubt that the testing is beneficial and even necessary(though on a Constitutional and Rights basis I’m torn on the government requiring it), what is the justification behind keeping the DNA “indefinitely”. The results (i.e. “+/-” for each disease), yes, but why the DNA?
As the post Uncle links to asks, what about Due Process, medical privacy, or other privacy rights? How is this government controlled database secured? Do the police or other government agencies need a warrant to access it?
Once there’s a yes/no answer on these diseases, the government’s “compelling interest” is over and the .gov copy of the DNA “fingerprint” should be destroyed. If they want it later, they should have to get get a subpoena and get the information from the physician/hospital that did the testing in the first place.
February 8th, 2010 at 1:20 pm
Flighterdoc:
So they tests for these diseases and then instead of turning over the data to the parents, or to a private escrow company, they keep the data forever. Without informed consent.
You know, when I was a kid, the police encouraged parents to have their kids fingerprinted. No IDs, names or SS# were asked for, and before the ink was dry the fingerprint card was in the parents hands.
This is a bit different.
February 8th, 2010 at 9:43 pm
From comments over @ Standard Mischief’s:
“When our first was born in the early ’90’s they took and stored a vile (sic) of cord blood. This has been going on for years.
Soon after, a .gov case worker was sent to inspect our house and talk to us, to make sure we were fit to keep our child. Those of you without children have no idea.”
Shit like THAT is precisely the type of thing that keeps me awake at night.
February 9th, 2010 at 5:20 pm
My last child was born in 1976, so I didn’t have to go through any of that. That is probably the reason I have never had to defend myself against a murder charge.