Introduction
Despite the benefits of DNA sequencing, it is marked with issues that reduce its reliability. As shown in the article, decoding a baby’s DNA should be done or not (Karlamangla). Maverick Coltrin is among the children who have benefited from the process. They found a change in one of his genes that made him have seizures. With a few medicines, the attacks could now be controlled. However, there are concerns about how parents are likely to treat their children once they discover an untreatable illness. The other issue is that most of the results from the test cannot be interpreted or acted upon (Karlamangla). Therefore, sequencing a baby’s DNA to find hidden diseases or future ailments is risky because the results may not be reliable and can cause unnecessary anxiety.
Full DNA Sequencing
The Reliability of the Result in the Test
The result from DNA sequencing is unreliable because it is susceptible to errors. Karlamangla posits that “researchers also warn that much genetic information is not predictive or accurate and will undoubtedly lead to anxiety among parents.” This is an indication that the outcome of the sequencing cannot be trusted fully due to its unpredictability. In addition, a genome test would show much information that is hard to understand. As the article shows, successes such as Maverick are rare, and only a quarter of the children whose DNA was decoded in the setting have been diagnosed and treated (Karlamangla). As a result, the test’s outcome is unreliable and can be subject to doubt.
DNA Sequencing
DNA sequencing may have an adverse impact on how parents relate with their children. Parents are more likely to treat their children differently when they discover they will develop a fatal disease (Karlamangla). For example, when parents may not see the need to educate or spend on children who will have untreatable diseases such as Parkinson’s disease. With this information, a parent may withdraw the financial support due to a perception that their child may become seriously ill. The test may create a negative attitude among parents about their children. In addition, the damage becomes worse if the result is inaccurate due to the stress and confusion it results after getting the information.
Ethics
DNA sequencing should not be added to the tests given to newborn babies to check for any illnesses. The process is subject to ethical concerns due to the unreliability of the test, eminent stigmatization, and incidental findings. DNA sequencing is a new technology that is changing quickly and has a lot of unknowns. This means that the results can be very different and that patients and providers do not know what to expect. Uncertainty is an ethical problem because it can make it hard for people to make decisions on their own and can cause distress or harm to people who are not ready to deal with the issue. In short, uncertainty can make it harder for people to meet their moral obligations.
Conclusion
Decoding a baby’s DNA may cause more harm to parenting than benefits. As the article shows, there is a question about whether or not the DNA of a baby should be decoded. Maverick Coltrin is one of the kids who has gotten help from this. They found that his seizures were caused by a change in one of his genes. With a few medicines, it was now possible to stop the attacks. However, some worry about how parents will treat their kids if they find out they have an illness that cannot be cured.
Work Cited
Karlamangla, Soumya. “Decoding Your Baby’s DNA: It Can Be Done. But Should It Be?” Los Angeles Times, 2018. Web.