Prenatal
Whole Genome Sequencing: Just Because We Can, Should We?
Whole
genome sequencing is quickly becoming more affordable and accessible, with the
prospect of personal genome sequencing for under $1,000 now widely said to be
in sight. The ethical issues raised by the use of this technology in the
research context have received some significant attention, but little has been
written on its use in the clinical context, and most of this analysis has been
futuristic forecasting. This is problematic, given the speed with which whole
genome sequencing technology is likely to be incorporated into clinical care.
This paper explores one particular subset of these issues: the implications of
adopting this technology in the prenatal context without a good understanding
of when and how it is useful.
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