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Pediatric Bioethics Conference
Predicting Our Future: Genetic Testing in Children and Their Families
Presented by the Treuman Katz Center for Pediatric Bioethics
Genetic testing in children can be used for diagnosis, the prediction of future disease or selecting the best therapy for an individual child.
Genetic testing traditionally refers to standard medical tests used for the identification of rare genetic conditions, such as cystic fibrosis and sickle cell anemia. Today, however, new DNA-based tests are even being developed to determine a child’s risk of having common medical conditions, such as asthma and diabetes, and their possible response to treatment.
The results of all these tests can have important implications for the child’s immediate and extended family members, raising questions about respecting privacy and potential obligations to inform other family members.
With technology rapidly advancing — bringing about more genetic tests — many ethical and policy questions must be addressed to appropriately use these new tools of genetic assessment in children:
- Which tests should be required of all newborns, and which tests should not be permitted until the child is an adult?
- Should parents be able to test young children for the risk of future diseases, such as breast cancer or Alzheimer disease?
- What obligations are there to inform family members about genetic test results that may impact them?
- What are the ethical implications of using genetic tests to predict behavioral traits, such as attention deficit disorder, addiction and depression?
- What are the ethical considerations of looking for a genetic predisposition for enhanced abilities, such as the potential for sports performance?
- What if adolescents and their parents disagree about genetic testing decisions?
- What genetic tests should be available to prospective parents before the adoption of a child?
Leaders in the field of pediatric bioethics will discuss these and other issues July 25-26, 2008, on the shores of Puget Sound. Come join us and add your perspective as we explore these ethical questions through presentations, panel discussions and breakout sessions.
Conference Planning Committee
- Douglas S. Diekema, MD, MPH
Director of Education, Treuman Katz Center for Pediatric Bioethics
Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center - James B. Hendricks, PhD
President
Seattle Children’s Hospital Research Institute - Kathie Kohorn, MA
Continuing Medical Education Coordinator
Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center - Angel Latterell, JD
Project Manager
Seattle Children’s Hospital Research Institute - F. Bruder Stapleton, MD
Chief Academic Officer and Chair of the Department of Pediatrics
Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center - Benjamin S. Wilfond, MD
Director, Treuman Katz Center for Pediatric Bioethics
Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center
Curriculum Advisory Committee
- Melissa Austin, MD, PhD
Professor of Epidemiology
Director, Institute for Public Health Genetics
University of Washington School of Public Health - David W. Bowe, MD
The Polyclinic Pediatrics - Wylie Burke, MD, PhD
Professor and Chair, Department of Medical History and Ethics
University of Washington School of Medicine - Edith Y. Cheng, MD, MS
Associate Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Medical Director, Prenatal Genetics and Fetal Therapy Program
Medical Director, Maternal and Infant Care Center
University of Washington School of Medicine - Mike Dudas, MD
Virginia Mason Sand Point Pediatrics
President, Medical Staff
Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center - Malia Fullerton, PhD
Assistant Professor, Department of Medical History and Ethics
University of Washington School of Medicine - Sihoun Hahn, MD, PhD
Professor of Pediatrics
University of Washington School of Medicine
Director, Biochemical Genetics Program
Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center - Maxine Hayes, MD, MPH
Washington State Health Officer
Washington State Department of Health - Mark Lewin, MD
Associate Professor of Pediatrics
University of Washington School of Medicine
Chief, Cardiology, Co-Director Heart Center
Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center - Bonnie Pagon, MD
Professor of Pediatrics
Principal Investigator, GeneTests
University of Washington School of Medicine
Sponsored by Seattle Children’s Hospital Research Institute and the Division of Bioethics, Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine
