We can change the future

Abstract

Most parents, given the chance, would do everything in their power to guarantee their children a healthy and secure future. Indeed, parents have a moral obligation to identify harms that threaten their children, and to prevent them, or at least reduce their risk, as best they can. This is so self‐evident that any parents arguing to the contrary are likely to find themselves on the receiving end of public disapproval, if not facing criminal proceedings and the prospect of having the children removed from their care. Illustration: Simon Walter ![][1] Recent advances in genetics and genomics seem to add a new tool to parents‘ armoury of measures to protect their children's health and well‐being. The clear causal link between genes and disease was demonstrated convincingly by the antenatal detection of a particular mutation which ultimately leads to the emergence of Huntington's disease 45–50 years later. The predictive power of genetics offers the prospect of identifying our future health status, so as to intervene in ways that will prevent diseases emerging, or will catch them early enough to nip them in the bud. But is this really the case? Or is it likely that the hope we have for our children will be manipulated by the hype of those with vested interests in promoting the use of genetics in areas where its application is inappropriate? Perhaps the science has not yet caught up with our ability to imagine creative applications for this new technology? Perhaps there are downsides to knowing our children's genetic information, which could outweigh any positive benefits that may accrue? These questions have aroused enormous interest not only among parents but also within healthcare systems worldwide. At first glance, genetic testing may sound like a good idea: if we can identify health risks early on, proper treatment or preventive … [1]: /embed/graphic-1.gif