Guidelines for genetic testing of healthy children.

Recent international efforts to sequence the human genome have greatly enhanced our ability to test definitively for many genetic conditions. For many, this has been welcome, allowing the diagnosis of disorders that have been previously only suspected. This has also led to the advent of the ‘unpatient’ [1], where there is an increasing ability to test healthy individuals for genetic conditions that they will get (presymptomatic or predictive testing), conditions that they may get (susceptibility testing), and conditions that their children may get (carrier status). In response to concerns with genetic testing in general, professional and governing bodies from several nations worldwide have developed statements to deal with societal concerns [2]. As part of this, genetic testing of healthy children has received due attention [3]-[6]. For example, the 1998 World Health Organization’s Proposed International Guidelines on Ethical Issues in Medical Genetics and the Provision of Genetic Services [7] recommends that: