So I was reading the paper...

[MTGas2B]

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So I was reading one of the newspapers from the old homeland and ran across this article.

http://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/news/article_6a89a9b4-603d-11e1-bd2e-001871e3ce6c.html

I'm certainly not a student of med-mal, but it seems like an interesting twist in the day and age of genetic testing. Personally, I don't see how something like his would stand, unless there was some family history of CF that someone totally overlooked, however I'm guessing that wasn't the case. If it went to trial that could set a painful precedent...

If I only would have known I had MH I would have demanded a non-triggering anesthetic

If I only would have known I had pseudocholinesterase deficiency I would have not let you treat me with sux, and it would have prevented the undue distress of a night in the ICU on a vent

I guess Shakespeare was right.

 

[IDBasco]

How would you like to be that child when you get old enough and find out your parents would have aborted you had they known you were going to turn out like you did? Its right there in the public records for everyone to see.

 

[loveoforganic]

How would you like to be that child when you get old enough and find out your parents would have aborted you had they known you were going to turn out like you did? Its right there in the public records for everyone to see.

Just what I was thinking. Not like CF life expectancy is short to the point where he's not going to discover it. That'll be a great day for him.

 

[Gern Blansten]

When the kid gets old enough to figure it all out, he can buy his dad this for father's day:

 

[TeamZissou]

Something else to add into the mix, Santorum doesn't support amniocentesis to be covered by the gov because it leads to abortions. Not like it gives us any other useful information that might alter prenatal care or anything....

 

[cchoukal]

This is a complicated issue, but only because of a basic misunderstanding between the physician and patient (and now jury) regarding the definition of "fetal abnormality." I wouldn't count CF as a fetal abnormality, I suspect the genetics practice feels the same way, but the parents apparently feel differently. It's hard to argue that a life with CF isn't pretty miserable, as well. What IS out responsibility in terms of disclosing all the options for testing? Do we have to get into sensitivity/specificity of these tests? When we know abortion is on the line, pending the results, does that impact how we'd discuss these things?

There was a really interesting perspectives piece in the NEJM regarding how we talk about prostate CA and PSA screening, given the poor reliability of the test, the numerous recommendations AGAINST using it as a screen, the indolent nature of most prostatic adenomas, and the morbidity of prostatectomy. It's really hard to relay this kind of nuance to a patient with cancer in a way that allows them to make truly informed decisions. I suspect genetics testing suffers the same problem.

That's not to say that I don't think these parents are miserable people and are probably just out to win the lottery...

 

[Cathyran]

That's not to say that I don't think these parents are miserable people and are probably just out to win the lottery...

Totally. "You didn't give us enough information to let us decide to kill our child." Not exactly a statement that invites sympathy, especially in Montana.

 

[Gern Blansten]

What's next? If the child tests positive for the gene that has a link to Alzheimer's, the child should be aborted? My family has a high incidence of heart disease. Should my parents have not had children? Family history of diabetes etc? Where will it end? The court will hopefully throw this one out. The child should be given up for adoption so that they can be raised by humans.

 

[deleted126335]

Freedom to choose means to support those who sometimes make choices that are aborrhent to one's values. The world is short millions of female babies simply because their parents preferred boys. Not exactly what the prochoice movement envisioned. Cost of doing business.

 

[Per4mer8]

Playing Devil's Advocate here:

To a layman, what constitutes "genetic abnormality"? When a couple requests genetic screening during pregnancy what should or shouldn't be included? How did Down's Syndrome become the main genetic condition screened for? Why isn't CF included? It is the most common fatal recessive disorder in the US (yes that is a Step II fact).

Obviously there is tons of information in regards to what was/was not discussed with the couple that the article doesn't discuss. What other options were offered (parent carrier status testing, genetic counselling etc)? Surely the Doctor(s) explained that the "normal" result is only in relation to those conditions tested for, but maybe not.......

The future is going to be filled with these stories as more and more tests become available for any known condition and the accuracy/sensitivity of these tests increases. I agree with the sentiment above, where do we draw the line in testing? Should we just open it up so that we allow parents to test and abort until they have their perfectly healthy, athletic, 150 IQ, blue eyed super soldier? But in the era of health care reform/cost limiting/rationing and the reality that patients don't have the background or concepts to understand everything we do, there will continue to be children born to parents with conditions we could have warned them about. Most parents will roll with it and love their child regardless while some will seek to blame the medical establishment.