Baby's DNA constructed before birth
"Mom gave a blood sample. Dad spit. The entire genome of their fetus was born.
Researchers at the University of Washington have, for the first time,
done a near-total genome sequence of a fetus in this way. Scientists
published the results of this study in the journal Science Translational
Medicine, suggesting that thousands of genetic diseases could be
detected in children while they are still in the fetal stage.Everyone has two copies of the human genome: One inherited from their biological mother and one from the biological father. With technology that's being used for genetic sequencing these days, it's not possible to say which variants on the chromosome you inherited from which parent.
The complexity comes, of course, from the ethical issues that arise concerning parents who would selectively abort fetuses that are predestined for certain conditions.
The technology worries medical ethicist Harriet Washington, who fears parents could use genome sequencing to predict and selectively abort children that don't meet certain standards - not just for diseases, but for things like hair and eye color..."
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