[ExI] Genetic testing of pregnancy

[BillK]

Pregnant women now have an easy and risk-free way to identify genetic
flaws in their fetuses. Are we prepared for the consequences?

<http://www.technologyreview.com/review/522661/too-much-information/>

Quote:
The catch, though, is that as the accuracy of these tests continues to
improve, they will be able to detect a greater range of genetic
variations, including some with murkier implications. For example,
rather than indicating something with certainty, they could reveal
elevated risks for certain diseases or disorders. These advances could
collide with the politics of abortion and raise the ugly specter of
eugenics. When, if ever, should parents terminate pregnancies on the
basis of genetic results? Do we have the wisdom to direct our own
evolution? And perhaps most important, are there limits to how much
data parents should have—or want to have—about their children before
birth?

Perhaps the biggest question is which information will be meaningful
for parents to receive. Genetic interpretation can be a dicey game. It
is well known, for instance, that mutations in the BRCA1 gene are
strongly associated with breast cancer, but in a disturbingly large
number of cases, patients are told they have variants of unknown
significance. “It would be very unfortunate if we started delivering
‘variants of unknown significance’ results in the context of
reproductive health,” Shendure says. Similarly, when it comes to
complex problems like cognitive impairment, it’s not clear how useful
it is to test for—or report on—variants that have been associated with
disabilities. Research suggests, for instance, that people with
specific duplications on chromosome 16 are at higher risk of mental
impairment. Some are severely affected, but others are “absolutely,
perfectly healthy, functioning normally,” according to Wendy Chung,
director of clinical genetics at Columbia University.

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BillK