Ethical issues with genetic testing in pediatrics

Newborn Screening for Sickle Cell Disease and Thalassemia

Importance

Hemoglobin disorders are a considerable public health issue with more than 500 000 affected infants born annually worldwide. First introduced in the 1970s, newborn screening (NBS) for sickle cell disease (SCD) was included in the Recommended Uniform Screening Panel (RUSP) in 2006, a successful public health promotion and prevention practice that has led to improved childhood survival. Although SCD is the primary target, the screening process also detects many other hemoglobinopathies.

Observations

NBS programs, administered by individual states, vary in their practices for hemoglobinopathy screening, creating health inequities and compromising public health efforts. There is a lack of uniformity in the choice of primary screening test, reporting, and follow-up of abnormal results, exacerbated by inconsistent access to genetic confirmation. Consequently, newborns diagnosed through protein-based screening alone may have diverse genotypes that alter the clinical expression of hemoglobinopathies. This Special Communication considers how the universal adoption of molecular testing for hemoglobinopathy newborn screening can overcome these current shortcomings. Simultaneously, the considerable challenges of primary screening with molecular methods and how these can be overcome are evaluated. Screening with targeted genetic testing of the hemoglobin genes (HbA1, HBA2, HBB) is especially well suited to hemoglobinopathies because there exists an extensive database of variants for the prediction of pathogenicity, averting the need for secondary or multiple testing. Importantly, it would eliminate the health disparities created by location and health insurance on the access to confirmatory testing and facilitate timely referral for definitive care. Standardization of the screening platform with diagnostic specificity has vast implications for public health surveillance and resource allocation. The adoption of molecular testing requires bringing new technology online, training and changes to workflow, potentially increased cost, and concerns for genetic data protection. Some of these barriers can be overcome using high-throughput methods with the potential to multiplex with other disease conditions that use genetic testing for primary screening through the consolidation of platforms.

Conclusions and Relevance

The time has come for a paradigm shift in newborn screening for hemoglobinopathies through the adoption of universal molecular genetic testing.

Uncertain futures and unsolicited findings in pediatric genomic sequencing: guidelines for return of results in cases of developmental delay

BACKGROUND

Massively parallel sequencing techniques, such as whole exome sequencing (WES) and whole genome sequencing (WGS), may reveal unsolicited findings (UFs) unrelated to the diagnostic aim. Such techniques are frequently used for diagnostic purposes in pediatric cases of developmental delay (DD). Yet policy guidelines for informed consent and return of UFs are not well equipped to address specific moral challenges that may arise in these children's situations.

DISCUSSION

In previous empirical studies conducted by our research group, we found that it is sometimes uncertain how children with a DD will develop and whether they could come to possess capacities for autonomous decision-making in the future. Parents sometimes felt this brought them into a Catch-22 like situation when confronted with choices about UFs before undergoing WES in trio-analysis (both the parents' and child's DNA are sequenced). An important reason for choosing to consent to WES was to gain more insight into how their child might develop. However, to make responsible choices about receiving or declining knowledge of UFs, some idea of their child's future development of autonomous capacities is needed. This undesirable Catch-22 situation was created by the specific policy configuration in which parents were required to make choices about UFs before being sequencing (trio-analysis). We argue that this finding is relevant for reconfiguring current policies for return of UFs for WES/WGS and propose guidelines that encompass two features. First, the informed consent process ought to be staged. Second, differing guidelines are required for withholding/disclosing a UF in cases of DD appropriate to the level of confidence there is about the child's future developmental of autonomous capacities.

CONCLUSION

When combined with a dynamic consent procedure, these two features of our guidelines could help overcome significant moral challenges that present themselves in the situations of children undergoing genomic sequencing for clarifying a DD.

How do genetic tests answer questions about neurodevelopmental differences? A sociological take

When it comes to neurodevelopmental differences, a genetic test result can provide compelling answers. However, it is not always clear what the relevant question is. If we want to understand the impact of a genetic diagnosis such as NGLY1 deficiency or the fragile X, trisomy X, or 22q11.2 deletion syndromes on people with neurodevelopmental differences, we must be mindful about what exactly a genetic test is supposed to tell us, where and for whom it matters, and which avenues for action it opens or forecloses. These are all moving targets. Specifically, I discuss the shifting ways a genetic test result can answer the following questions. What is this person's diagnosis? What symptoms and developmental differences are they likely to experience? What is the best way to approach their development, treatment, and care? Will they have a life worth living? When you unpack the sociological nuances of each question, the history behind them, and the uneven ways they are asked, the meanings of the answers change quite radically. I discuss the implications for social inequalities and urge experts and stakeholders to exercise agency when they interpret a genetic diagnosis. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS: The questions a genetic test can answer depend on a range of social factors. Whether and how a genetic test result affects diagnosis, identity, prognosis, and treatment is a moving target. Genetics creates questions about a life worth living that it cannot answer alone. Stakeholders must choose the questions about neurodevelopmental differences that genetics should answer.

Genetic Testing for Rare Diseases: A Systematic Review of Ethical Aspects

Genetic testing is associated with many ethical challenges on the individual, organizational and macro level of health care systems. The provision of genetic testing for rare diseases in particular requires a full understanding of the complexity and multiplicity of related ethical aspects. This systematic review presents a detailed overview of ethical aspects relevant to genetic testing for rare diseases as discussed in the literature. The electronic databases Pubmed, Science Direct and Web of Science were searched, resulting in 55 relevant publications. From the latter, a total of 93 different ethical aspects were identified. These ethical aspects were structured into three main categories (process of testing, consequences of the test outcome and contextual challenges) and 20 subcategories highlighting the diversity and complexity of ethical aspects relevant to genetic testing for rare diseases. This review can serve as a starting point for the further in-depth investigation of particular ethical issues, the education of healthcare professionals regarding this matter and for informing international policy development on genetic testing for rare diseases.

Psychosocial Effect of Newborn Genomic Sequencing on Families in the BabySeq Project: A Randomized Clinical Trial

IMPORTANCE

Newborn genomic sequencing (nGS) may provide health benefits throughout the life span, but there are concerns that it could also have an unfavorable (ie, negative) psychosocial effect on families.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the psychosocial effect of nGS on families from the BabySeq Project, a randomized clinical trial evaluating the effect of nGS on the clinical care of newborns from well-baby nurseries and intensive care units.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

In this randomized clinical trial conducted from May 14, 2015, to May 21, 2019, at well-baby nurseries and intensive care units at 3 Boston, Massachusetts, area hospitals, 519 parents of 325 infants completed surveys at enrollment, immediately after disclosure of nGS results, and 3 and 10 months after results disclosure. Statistical analysis was performed on a per-protocol basis from January 16, 2019, to December 1, 2019.

INTERVENTION

Newborns were randomized to receive either standard newborn screening and a family history report (control group) or the same plus an nGS report of childhood-onset conditions and highly actionable adult-onset conditions (nGS group).

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Mean responses were compared between groups and, within the nGS group, between parents of children who received a monogenic disease risk finding and those who did not in 3 domains of psychosocial impact: parent-child relationship (Mother-to-Infant Bonding Scale), parents' relationship (Kansas Marital Satisfaction Scale), and parents' psychological distress (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale anxiety subscale).

RESULTS

A total of 519 parents (275 women [53.0%]; mean [SD] age, 35.1 [4.5] years) were included in this study. Although mean scores differed for some outcomes at singular time points, generalized estimating equations models did not show meaningful differences in parent-child relationship (between-group difference in adjusted mean [SE] Mother-to-Infant Bonding Scale scores: postdisclosure, 0.04 [0.15]; 3 months, -0.18 [0.18]; 10 months, -0.07 [0.20]; joint P = .57) or parents' psychological distress (between-group ratio of adjusted mean [SE] Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale anxiety subscale scores: postdisclosure, 1.04 [0.08]; 3 months, 1.07 [0.11]; joint P = .80) response patterns between study groups over time for any measures analyzed in these 2 domains. Response patterns on one parents' relationship measure differed between groups over time (between-group difference in adjusted mean [SE] Kansas Marital Satisfaction Scale scores: postdisclosure, -0.19 [0.07]; 3 months, -0.04 [0.07]; and 10 months, -0.01 [0.08]; joint P = .02), but the effect decreased over time and no difference was observed on the conflict measure responses over time. We found no evidence of persistent negative psychosocial effect in any domain.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

In this randomized clinical trial of nGS, there was no persistent negative psychosocial effect on families among those who received nGS nor among those who received a monogenic disease risk finding for their infant.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02422511.

The future of newborn screening for lysosomal disorders

The goal of newborn screening is to enhance the outcome of individuals with serious, treatable disorders through early, pre-symptomatic detection. The lysosomal storage disorders (LSDs) comprise a group of more than 50 diseases with a combined frequency of approximately 1:7000. With the availability of existing and new enzyme replacement therapies, small molecule treatments and gene therapies, there is increasing interest in screening newborns for LSDs with the goal of reducing disease-related morbidity and mortality through early detection. Novel screening methods are being developed, including efforts to enhance accuracy of screening using an array of multi-tiered, genomic, statistical, and bioinformatic approaches. While NBS data for Gaucher disease, Fabry disease, Krabbe disease, MPS I, and Pompe disease has demonstrated the feasibility of widespread screening, it has also highlighted some of the complexities of screening for LSDs. These include the identification of infants with later-onset, untreatable, and uncertain phenotypes, raising interesting ethical concerns that should be addressed as part of the NBS implementation process. Taken together, these efforts will provide critical, detailed data to help guide objective, ethically sensitive decision-making about NBS for LSDs.

'We Should View Him as an Individual': The Role of the Child's Future Autonomy in Shared Decision-Making About Unsolicited Findings in Pediatric Exome Sequencing

In debates about genetic testing of children, as well as about disclosing unsolicited findings (UFs) of pediatric exome sequencing, respect for future autonomy should be regarded as a prima facie consideration for not taking steps that would entail denying the future adult the opportunity to decide for herself about what to know about her own genome. While the argument can be overridden when other, morally more weighty considerations are at stake, whether this is the case can only be determined in concrete cases. Importantly, when children grow into adolescents, respect for future autonomy will have to give way to respecting their emerging autonomy. When pediatric exome sequencing is done for complex conditions not involving developmental delay, respect for the child's future or emerging autonomy should be a primary consideration for those charged with deciding on behalf of the child. Building on what Emanuel and Emanuel have termed the 'deliberative model' of shared decision making, we argue that if parents fail to give these considerations their due, professionals should actively invite them to do so. Taking a directive stance may be needed in order to make sure that the future or emerging autonomy of the child are duly considered in the decision-making process, but also to help the parents and themselves to shape their respective roles as responsible care-givers.

Parent-Child Communication and Reproductive Considerations in Families with Genetic Cancer Predisposition Syndromes: A Systematic Review

Background: Uptake of genetic testing for heritable conditions is increasingly common. In families with known autosomal dominant genetic cancer predisposition syndromes (CPS), testing youth may reduce uncertainty and provide guidance for future lifestyle, medical, and family building considerations. The goals of this systematic review were to examine: (1) how parents and their children, adolescents, and young adults (CAYAs) communicate and make decisions regarding testing for CPS and (2) how they communicate and make decisions about reproductive health/family building in the context of risk for CPS. Methods: Searches of MEDLINE/Pubmed, CINAHL, Web of Science, and PsycINFO yielded 4161 articles since January 1, 2000, which contained terms related to youth, pediatrics, decision-making, genetic cancer predispositions, communication, and family building. Results: Articles retained (N = 15) included five qualitative, six quantitative, and four mixed-method designs. Parents generally agreed testing results should be disclosed to CAYAs at risk or affected by genetic conditions in a developmentally appropriate manner. Older child age and child desire for information were associated with disclosure. Greater knowledge about risk prompted adolescents and young adults to consider the potential impact on future relationships and family building. Conclusions: Most parents believed it was their responsibility to inform their CAYAs about genetic testing results, particularly to optimize engagement in recommended preventative screening/lifestyle behaviors. Disclosing test results may be challenging due to concerns such as young age, developmental appropriateness, and emotional burden. Additional research is needed on how CPS risk affects CAYAs' decisions about reproductive health and family building over time.

Parental anxiety after 5 years of participation in a longitudinal study of children at high risk of type 1 diabetes

AIM

Parents of children participating in screening studies may experience increased levels of anxiety. The aim of this study was to assess parental anxiety levels after 5 years of participation in the Diabetes Prediction in Skåne study. Associations between parental anxiety about their child developing type 1 diabetes and clinical, demographic, and immunological factors were analyzed.

METHOD

Mothers and fathers of participating 5-year-old children answered a questionnaire regarding parental anxiety associated with their child's increased risk of type 1 diabetes. Anxiety levels were assessed using the State Anxiety Inventory scale. Data were analyzed using logistic and multinomial regression.

RESULTS

Parents of 2088 5-year-old children participated. Both parents answered the questionnaire for 91.2% (n = 1904) of children. In 67.1% of families, neither parent reported being anxious that their child had an increased risk of developing type 1 diabetes. Anxiety was higher in mothers of children positive for autoantibodies (OR 2.21 95% CI 1.41, 3.48, P < .001) and those perceiving their child had a higher risk for type 1 diabetes (2.01; 1.29, 3.13, P = .002). Frequency of worry was associated with parental anxiety (mothers 5.33; 3.48, 8.17, P < .001, fathers 5.27; 3.51, 7.92, P < .001). Having a family member with type 1 diabetes and having lower education level were also associated with increased anxiety.

CONCLUSIONS

Diabetes in the family, the child's autoantibody status, education level, frequency of worry and risk perception where associated with higher parental anxiety. These findings add to our understanding of the impact of screening for type 1 diabetes in children on parental anxiety.

Genomic Diagnosis for Pediatric Disorders: Revolution and Evolution

Powerful, recent advances in technologies to analyze the genome have had a profound impact on the practice of medical genetics, both in the laboratory and in the clinic. Increasing utilization of genome-wide testing such as chromosomal microarray analysis and exome sequencing have lead a shift toward a "genotype-first" approach. Numerous techniques are now available to diagnose a particular syndrome or phenotype, and while traditional techniques remain efficient tools in certain situations, higher-throughput technologies have become the de facto laboratory tool for diagnosis of most conditions. However, selecting the right assay or technology is challenging, and the wrong choice may lead to prolonged time to diagnosis, or even a missed diagnosis. In this review, we will discuss current core technologies for the diagnosis of classic genetic disorders to shed light on the benefits and disadvantages of these strategies, including diagnostic efficiency, variant interpretation, and secondary findings. Finally, we review upcoming technologies posed to impart further changes in the field of genetic diagnostics as we move toward "genome-first" practice.

Discouraging Elective Genetic Testing of Minors: A Norm under Siege in a New Era of Genomic Medicine

Consistently, the field of genetic counseling has advocated that parents be advised to defer elective genetic testing of minors until adulthood to prevent a range of potential harms, including stigma, discrimination, and the loss of the child's ability to decide for him- or herself as an adult. However, consensus around the policy of "defer-when-possible" obscures the extent to which this norm is currently under siege. Increasingly, routine use of full or partial genome sequencing challenges our ability to control what is discovered in childhood or, when applied in a prenatal context, even before birth. The expansion of consumer-initiated genetic testing services challenges our ability to restrict what is available to minors. As the barriers to access crumble, medical professionals should proceed with caution, bearing in mind potential risks and continuing to assess the impact of genetic testing on this vulnerable population.

FDA oversight of NSIGHT genomic research: the need for an integrated systems approach to regulation

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded the Newborn Sequencing In Genomic medicine and public HealTh (NSIGHT) Consortium to investigate the implications, challenges, and opportunities associated with the possible use of genomic sequence information in the newborn period. Following announcement of the NSIGHT awardees in 2013, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) contacted investigators and requested that pre-submissions to investigational device exemptions (IDE) be submitted for the use of genomic sequencing under Title 21 of the Code of Federal Regulations (21 CFR) part 812. IDE regulation permits clinical investigation of medical devices that have not been approved by the FDA. To our knowledge, this marked the first time the FDA determined that NIH-funded clinical genomic research projects are subject to IDE regulation. Here, we review the history of and rationale behind FDA oversight of clinical research and the NSIGHT Consortium's experiences in navigating the IDE process. Overall, NSIGHT investigators found that FDA's application of existing IDE regulations and medical device definitions aligned imprecisely with the aims of publicly funded exploratory clinical research protocols. IDE risk assessments by the FDA were similar to, but distinct from, protocol risk assessments conducted by local Institutional Review Boards (IRBs), and had the potential to reflect novel oversight of emerging genomic technologies. However, the pre-IDE and IDE process delayed the start of NSIGHT research studies by an average of 10 months, and significantly limited the scope of investigation in two of the four NIH approved projects. Based on the experience of the NSIGHT Consortium, we conclude that policies and practices governing the development and use of novel genomic technologies in clinical research urgently need clarification in order to mitigate potentially conflicting or redundant oversight by IRBs, NIH, FDA, and state authorities.

Ethical Issues in Newborn Sequencing Research: The Case Study of BabySeq

The BabySeq Project is a study funded by the National Institutes of Health and aimed at exploring the medical, behavioral, and economic impacts of integrating genomic sequencing into the care of both healthy newborns and newborns who are sick. Infants were randomly assigned to receive standard of care or standard of care plus sequencing. The protocol and consent specified that only childhood-onset conditions would be returned. When 1 child was found to carry a BRCA2 mutation despite a negative family history, the research team experienced moral distress about nondisclosure and sought institutional review board permission to disclose. The protocol was then modified to require participants to agree to receive results for adult-onset-only conditions as a precondition to study enrollment. The BabySeq team asserted that their new protocol was in the child's best interest because having one's parents alive and well provides both an individual child benefit and a "family benefit." We begin with a short description of BabySeq and the controversy regarding predictive genetic testing of children for adult-onset conditions. We then examine the ethical problems with (1) the revised BabySeq protocol and (2) the concept of family benefit as a justification for the return of adult-onset-only conditions. We reject family benefit as a moral reason to expand genomic sequencing of children beyond conditions that present in childhood. We also argue that researchers should design their pediatric studies to avoid, when possible, identifying adult-onset-only genetic variants and that parents should not be offered the return of this information if discovered unless relevant for the child's current or imminent health.

Pharmacogenomic Testing In Pediatrics: Navigating The Ethical, Social, And Legal Challenges

For the past several years, the implementation of pharmacogenetic (PGx) testing has become widespread in several centers and clinical practice settings. PGx testing may be ordered at the point-of-care when treatment is needed or in advance of treatment for future use. The potential benefits of PGx testing are not limited to adult patients, as children are increasingly using medications more often and at earlier ages. This review provides some background on the use of PGx testing in children as well as mothers (prenatally and post-natally) and discusses the challenges, benefits, and the ethical, legal, and social implications of providing PGx testing to children.

Rethinking the "open future" argument against predictive genetic testing of children

Professional consensus has traditionally discouraged predictive genetic testing when no childhood interventions can reduce future morbidity or mortality. However, advances in genome sequencing and accumulating evidence that children and families cope adequately with predictive genetic information have weakened this consensus. The primary argument remaining against testing appeals to children's "right to an open future." It claims that the autonomy of the future adult is violated when others make an irreversible choice to obtain or disclose predictive genetic information during childhood. We evaluate this argument and conclude that children's interest in an open future should not be understood as a right. Rather an open future is one significant interest to weigh against other important interests when evaluating decisions. Thus, predictive genetic testing is ethically permissible in principle, as long as the interests promoted outweigh potential harms. We conclude by offering an expanded model of children's interests that might be considered in such circumstances, and present two case analyses to illustrate how this framework better guides decisions about predictive genetic testing in pediatrics.

The Current State of Newborn Screening in the United States

Newborn screening has evolved since its introduction in 1963. The disorders that are being screened for continue to evolve as new treatments and new technologies advance. In this review, the authors discuss the current state of newborn screening in the United States, including the disorders currently being screened for and how newborn screening is performed. They also discuss the special considerations and limitations of newborn screening in sick and premature infants and as well as some ethical issues related to newborn screening. Finally, new disorders being considered for testing and new technologies that may be used in the future of newborn screening are discussed.

Ethical and Psychosocial Issues in Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) for Newborns

In this article, I review some of the ethical issues that have arisen in the past when genetic testing has been done in newborns. I then suggest how whole genome sequencing may raise a new set of issues. Finally, I introduce a series of other articles in which the authors address different controversies that arise when whole genome sequencing is used in the newborn period.

Perceived Benefits, Risks, and Utility of Newborn Genomic Sequencing in the BabySeq Project

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

There is interest in applying genomic sequencing (GS) to newborns' clinical care. Here we explore parents' and clinicians' attitudes toward and perceptions of the risks, benefits, and utility of newborn GS compared with newborn screening (NBS) prior to receiving study results.

METHODS

The BabySeq Project is a randomized controlled trial used to explore the impact of integrating GS into the clinical care of newborns. Parents (n = 493) of enrolled infants (n = 309) and clinicians (n = 144) completed a baseline survey at enrollment. We examined between-group differences in perceived utility and attitudes toward NBS and GS. Open-ended responses about risks and benefits of each technology were categorized by theme.

RESULTS

The majority of parents (71%) and clinicians (51%) agreed that there are health benefits of GS, although parents and clinicians agreed more that there are risks associated with GS (35%, 70%) than with NBS (19%, 39%; all P < .05). Parents perceived more benefit and less risk of GS than did clinicians. Clinicians endorsed concerns about privacy and discrimination related to genomic information more strongly than did parents, and parents anticipated benefits of GS that clinicians did not.

CONCLUSIONS

Parents and clinicians are less confident in GS than NBS, but parents perceive a more favorable risk/benefit ratio of GS than do clinicians. Clinicians should be aware that parents' optimism may stem from their perceived benefits beyond clinical utility.

Evaluating parents' decisions about next-generation sequencing for their child in the NC NEXUS (North Carolina Newborn Exome Sequencing for Universal Screening) study: a randomized controlled trial protocol

BACKGROUND

Using next-generation sequencing (NGS) in newborn screening (NBS) could expand the number of genetic conditions detected pre-symptomatically, simultaneously challenging current precedents, raising ethical concerns, and extending the role of parental decision-making in NBS. The NC NEXUS (Newborn Exome Sequencing for Universal Screening) study seeks to assess the technical possibilities and limitations of NGS-NBS, devise and evaluate a framework to convey various types of genetic information, and develop best practices for incorporating NGS-NBS into clinical care. The study is enrolling both a healthy cohort and a cohort diagnosed with known disorders identified through recent routine NBS. It uses a novel age-based metric to categorize a priori the large amount of data generated by NGS-NBS and interactive online decision aids to guide parental decision-making. Primary outcomes include: (1) assessment of NGS-NBS sensitivity, (2) decision regret, and (3) parental decision-making about NGS-NBS, and, for parents randomized to have the option of requesting them, additional findings (diagnosed and healthy cohorts). Secondary outcomes assess parents' reactions to the study and to decision-making.

METHODS/DESIGN

Participants are parents and children in a well-child cohort recruited from a prenatal clinic and a diagnosed cohort recruited from pediatric clinics that treat children with disorders diagnosed through traditional NBS (goal of 200 children in each cohort). In phase 1, all parent participants use an online decision aid to decide whether to accept NGS-NBS for their child and provide consent for NGS-NBS. In phase 2, parents who consent to NGS-NBS are randomized to a decision arm or control arm (2:1 allocation) and learn their child's NGS-NBS results, which include conditions from standard (non-NGS) NBS plus other highly actionable childhood-onset conditions. Parents in the decision arm use a second decision aid to make decisions about additional results from their child's sequencing. In phase 3, decision arm participants learn additional results they have requested. Online questionnaires are administered at up to five time points.

DISCUSSION

NC NEXUS will use a rigorous interdisciplinary approach designed to collect rich data to inform policy, practice, and future research.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

clinicaltrials.gov, NCT02826694 . Registered on 11 July, 2016.

The importance of preventative medicine in conjunction with modern day genetic studies

Genetic screening in the primary care setting is the future of preventative medicine. Genetic testing is an important medical tool for assessing various inheritable diseases, conditions, and cancers. The ability to diagnose patients before symptoms surface can help lessen the severity of symptoms and promote quality of life. However, genetic screening can cause psychological distress from the knowledge of test results, in some cases only serving to increase the risk of developing a condition due to stress. Genetic testing can be conducted anytime in life, even before birth. In this review, a compilation of genetic testing's definitions and boundaries, factors influencing an individual's test outcomes, and an overview of a wide variety of diseases, conditions and cancers were collected.

A Historical and Current Review of Newborn Screening for Neuromuscular Disorders From Around the World: Lessons for the United States

BACKGROUND

We aimed to review the history of newborn screening for three neuromuscular disorders (Duchenne muscular dystrophy, Pompe disease, and spinal muscular atrophy [SMA]) to determine best practices.

METHODS

The history of newborn screening for Duchenne muscular dystrophy began in 1975 with the measurement of creatinine kinase on newborn male blood spots from two Midwestern hospitals in the United States. Over the next 40 years, ten programs were implemented around the globe although none currently remain. The first experimental pilot program for Pompe disease began in 2005 in Taiwan. In 2013, Missouri was the first US state to implement Pompe newborn screening before its inclusion in the Recommended Uniform Screening Panel (RUSP) in 2015 by the Advisory Committee on Heritable Disorders in Newborns and Children (United States). In 2008, SMA was reviewed and rejected for inclusion in the RUSP because no treatment existed. With the approval of nusinersen in late 2016, spinal muscular atrophy is being reconsidered for the RUSP.

RESULTS

A condition should meet public health screening criteria to be included in the RUSP. Duchenne muscular dystrophy, Pompe, and SMA challenge traditional screening criteria: Duchenne muscular dystrophy does not present in infancy and lacks effective treatment; Pompe and SMA may not present until adulthood; and safety and efficacy of long-term intrathecal treatment for SMA is unknown. Potential reproductive benefit and improved research recruitment do not justify a public health screening program.

CONCLUSIONS

This review provides lessons that could benefit US public health departments as they consider expanding screening to include neuromuscular disorders like Duchenne muscular dystrophy, Pompe, and SMA.

Towards Substantive Standardization: Ethical Rules as Ethical Presumptions

This paper argues that substantive ethical rules serve a critical ethical function, even in those cases where we should deviate from those rules. Assuming that the rules are valid provides decision-makers with the context essential to reaching a well-justified decision. Recognizing this helps to reconcile two attractive but incompatible positions regarding the evaluation of healthcare ethics consultants. The first position is that ethical rules can validly be used to evaluate the quality of consultants' advice, ensuring conformity to standards promoted by a significant portion of medical ethicists. The second position-the message of ethical particularism-is that we should not evaluate consultants according to strict rules, since good ethical advice may deviate from even the most carefully wrought moral rules. Steering a path between these extremes, I argue that we should evaluate the quality of consultations by examining whether consultants have communicated the relevant ethical rules to participants as ethical presumptions. In communicating presumptions, a consultant provides an indispensable ingredient to ethical decision-making, while leaving open the possibility that the ethical course of action involves violating the very ethical rules that one should presume.

Inherited TP53 Mutations and the Li-Fraumeni Syndrome

Li-Fraumeni syndrome (LFS) is a complex hereditary cancer predisposition disorder associated with early-onset cancers in diverse tissues of origin. Germline TP53 mutations are identified in 75% of patients with classic LFS. The lifetime likelihood of a TP53 mutation carrier developing cancer approaches 75% in males and almost 100% in females. Several genetic modifiers have been implicated to account for the phenotypic variability within and across LFS families; however, efforts to develop predictive algorithms of age of onset and type of cancers in individual patients have not yet found clinical use. Although it is not possible to prevent cancers from forming in LFS patients, novel protocols have been developed for surveillance for early tumor detection, leading to improvements in survival. Comprehensive studies of the genome and epigenome in LFS families in the context of germline TP53 mutations is anticipated to shed light on this intriguing, yet devastating, disease and to transform the clinical management of patients.

Parents' attitudes toward genetic testing of children for health conditions: A systematic review

This review assessed parents' attitudes toward childhood genetic testing for health conditions, with a focus on perceived advantages and disadvantages. We also evaluated the factors that influence parents' attitudes toward childhood genetic testing. We searched Medline, Medline In-Process, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Social Work Abstracts and CINAHL. We screened 945 abstracts and identified 21 studies representing the views of 3934 parents. Parents reported largely positive attitudes toward childhood genetic testing across different genetic tests with varying medical utility. Parents perceived a range of advantages and disadvantages of childhood genetic testing. Childhood genetic testing was viewed by most as beneficial. Parents' education level, genetic status, sex and sociodemographic status were associated with reported attitudes. This yielded some conflicting findings, indicating the need for further research. Genetic counseling remains essential to support this population in making well-informed decisions. Targeted interventions tailored to specific families with different sociodemographic characteristics may be useful. Further research on the long-term impact of childhood genetic testing on families is warranted.

"They Just Want to Know" - Genetic Health Professionals' Beliefs About Why Parents Want to Know their Child's Carrier Status

In the context of a child being diagnosed with a genetic condition, reports from both parents and health professionals suggest many genetic health professionals are reluctant to provide carrier testing for unaffected siblings, despite the lack of evidence of harm. We propose that genetic health professionals' understandings of why parents want to have their children tested may contribute to their reluctance to test. We draw on interviews with 17 genetic health professionals, reporting their beliefs about parents' motivations for testing and their intentions to communicate results to their children. Data were analyzed using inductive content analysis. Genetic health professionals reported attributions that contrasted with reasons parents actually report. These disparities fall into two categories: 1) attributing reasons that parents do not themselves report (i.e. for reassurance about their child's health), and 2) not recognizing the reasons that parents actually do report for wanting testing (i.e. to communicate the information to their child). By identifying that genetic health professionals may be misattributing reasons to parents for desiring their child"s carrier status, they may be missing an opportunity to assist parents to make decisions that are in line with their values and the best interests of the family.

Ethical issues in pediatric genetic testing and screening

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Developments in genetic test technologies enable a detailed analysis of the genomes of individuals across the range of human development from embryos to adults with increased precision and lower cost. These powerful technologies raise a number of ethical issues in pediatrics, primarily because of the frequent lack of clinical utility of genetic information, the generation of secondary results and questions over the proper scope of parental authority for testing.

RECENT FINDINGS

Several professional organizations in the fields of genetics and pediatrics have published new guidance on the ethical, legal, and policy issues relevant to genetic testing in children. The roles of predictive testing for adult-onset conditions, the management of secondary findings and the role of informed consent for newborn screening remain controversial. However, research and experience are not demonstrating serious adverse psychosocial impacts from genetic testing and screening in children. The use of these technologies is expanding with the notion that the personal utility of test results, rather than clinical utility, may be sufficient to justify testing.

SUMMARY

The use of microarray and genome sequencing technologies is expanding in the care of children. More deference to parental decision-making is evolving in contexts wherein information and counseling can be made readily available.

Ethics knowledge of recent paediatric residency graduates: the role of residency ethics curricula

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the relationship between recently trained paediatricians' ethics knowledge and exposure to a formal ethics or professionalism curriculum during residency.

METHODS

We conducted a cross-sectional survey of recently trained paediatricians which included a validated 23-item instrument called the Test of Residents' Ethics Knowledge for Pediatrics. The sample included paediatricians who completed medical school in 2006-2008, whose primary specialty was paediatrics or a paediatric subspecialty, and who completed paediatric residency training in 2010-2011. This sample was stratified based on residency programme variables: presence of a formal curriculum in ethics or professionalism, programme size and American Board of Pediatrics certifying exam passage rate. Paediatricians were randomly selected from each stratum for survey participation.

RESULTS

Among the 370 responding paediatricians (55%), the mean knowledge score was 17.3 (SD 2.2) out of a possible 23. Presence of a formal curriculum in ethics and/or professionalism was not significantly associated with knowledge. Knowledge was lowest on items about parental requests for a child to undergo genetic testing (2 items, 44% and 85% incorrect), preserving patient confidentiality over email (55% incorrect), decision-making regarding life-sustaining technologies (61% incorrect), and decision-making principles such as assent and parental permission (2 items, 47% and 49% incorrect).

CONCLUSIONS

This study highlights several areas in which paediatricians' knowledge may be low and that are amenable to targeted educational interventions. These findings should prompt discussion and research among ethicists and educators about how ethics and professionalism curricula can more consistently influence paediatricians' knowledge.

Prognostic dilemmas and genetic counseling for prenatally detected fragile X gene expansions

With widespread adoption of fragile X carrier screening in pregnant women, the number of expectant couples receiving news of an unanticipated Fragile X Mental Retardation 1 (FMR1) gene expansion has increased. The most common abnormal result from maternal FMR1 testing involves an intermediate allele, also known as a gray zone result, which requires genetic counseling but poses minimal risk for an adverse developmental outcome. By contrast, the finding of a maternal FMR1 premutation or full mutation during pregnancy has important implications for the woman herself, her unborn child, and her extended family. These multiple levels of impact, in addition to the complex inheritance pattern and variable expressivity of fragile X-associated disorders, cause significant stress for newly identified expectant couples and pose unique challenges for genetic counselors in the prenatal setting. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Whole-exome sequencing in pediatrics: parents' considerations toward return of unsolicited findings for their child

Parents' preferences for unsolicited findings (UFs) from diagnostic whole-exome sequencing (WES) for their children remain largely unexplored. Our aim was to gain insight into parental considerations favoring acceptance/decline of UFs pertaining to their child. We conducted 20 qualitative, semistructured interviews with parents (n=34) of children with a developmental delay, aged <1 to 17 years, after consenting to WES, but before feedback of results. Key findings from our study were that all parents favored acceptance of UFs for medically actionable conditions in childhood, but that preferences and considerations diverged for UFs with no medical actionability, or only in adulthood, and regarding carrier-status. Sometimes non-medical utility considerations (considerations of usefulness of knowing UFs, not rooted in (preventive) medical treatment or controls) were given in favor of disclosure of UFs. Sometimes the child's future autonomy formed a reason to withhold UFs at present, despite an unfavorable prognosis concerning the child's cognitive capabilities. Some parents only preferred receiving UFs if these findings were directly related to their reasons for seeking a diagnosis. These findings are essential for developing morally responsible policy and for counseling. Further research should focus on whether considerations of non-medical utility alone can justify disclosure of UFs and whether reasons for seeking a diagnosis place further constraints on what UFs may be returned/withheld. How parents can be aided in contemplating different scenarios regarding their child's future development also deserves further inquiry.

Parents' experiences with requesting carrier testing for their unaffected children

PURPOSE

International guidelines generally recommend delaying genetic carrier testing in children until the child reaches the age of majority or is mature enough to be involved in the decision. Several studies have shown that carrier testing of children does occur in some instances, particularly in siblings of a child affected with a genetic condition. However, little research has explored parents' experiences with the testing process, the impact of knowing a child's carrier status, and whether parents communicate carrier information to their children.

METHODS

Semistructured interviews were conducted with 33 parents of children who had one of three genetic conditions (cystic fibrosis, hemophilia, and Duchenne muscular dystrophy). Inductive content analysis was used to analyze the data.

RESULTS

Eight distinct pathways to carrier testing were distinguishable. While some parents had requested testing, others had been offered testing and some had received carrier results incidentally following testing to exclude affected status. Some parents were discouraged from testing, which led to frustration. Overall, 67% of the parents had received carrier results for at least one child, and parents were happy to have results, even if their children were carriers.

CONCLUSION

Despite recommendations against carrier testing, this study provides evidence of varying practices and highlights a need to review the guidelines.Genet Med 18 12, 1199-1205.

Easing the Burden: Describing the Role of Social, Emotional and Spiritual Support in Research Families with Li-Fraumeni Syndrome

This study presents findings of a mixed-method descriptive exploration of the role of friends and spirituality/religiosity in easing the burden of families with the rare inherited disorder, Li-Fraumeni Syndrome (LFS). LFS is caused by germline mutations in the TP53 gene and is associated with very high lifetime risk of developing one or more malignancies. During the first clinical visit we assessed several types of social support among a subset of study participants (N = 66) using an established interactive research tool called the Colored Eco-Genetic Relationship Map (CEGRM). We performed both quantitative and qualitative analyses of social relationships with LFS family members and close non-kin. Distress scores (N = 59) were mostly low normal, with some outliers. We found that reported friendships varied widely, that the friendships were often deep and enduring, and were important sources of informational, tangible, emotional and spiritual support. Confidantes tended to be best friends and/or spouses. Organized religion was important in selected families, typically from mainstream traditions. However, a number of people identified themselves as "spiritual" and reported spiritual and humanist explorations. Our results shed preliminary light on how some people in families with LFS cope in the face of tremendous medical, social and emotional challenges.

Carrier testing in children and adolescents

Many international guidelines recommend that carrier testing in minors should be postponed either until the age of majority or until the child can be actively involved in the decision making process. Although a number of high school programs exist which provide carrier screening to adolescents in at-risk populations, recent guidelines published by the American Society of Human Genetics do not advocate this testing. Despite this, there are some circumstances in which carrier testing does occur in minors. This testing might be intentional, in which identification of carrier status is the goal of the test, or unintentional, where carrier status is identified as a by-product of testing. In this review we outline the situations in which carriers may be identified in childhood and the positions of professional guidelines that address carrier testing in children. We then review the arguments for and against carrier testing presented in the literature and compare this to the empirical evidence in this field.

Management of Incidental Findings in Clinical Genomic Sequencing

Genomic sequencing is becoming accurate, fast, and increasingly inexpensive, and is rapidly being incorporated into clinical practice. Incidental or secondary findings, which can occur in large numbers from genomic sequencing, are a potential barrier to the utility of this new technology due to their relatively high prevalence and the lack of evidence or guidelines available to guide their clinical interpretation. This unit reviews the definition, classification, and management of incidental findings from genomic sequencing. The unit focuses on the clinical aspects of handling incidental findings, with an emphasis on the key role of clinical context in defining incidental findings and determining their clinical relevance and utility.

Potential Uses and Inherent Challenges of Using Genome-Scale Sequencing to Augment Current Newborn Screening

Since newborn screening (NBS) began in the 1960s, technological advances have enabled its expansion to include an increasing number of disorders. Recent developments now make it possible to sequence an infant's genome relatively quickly and economically. Clinical application of whole-exome and whole-genome sequencing is expanding at a rapid pace but presents many challenges. Its utility in NBS has yet to be demonstrated and its application in the pediatric population requires examination, not only for potential clinical benefits, but also for the unique ethical challenges it presents.

[Informed consent and parental refusal to medical treatment in childhood. The threshold of medical and social tolerance. Part I]

Informed consent is a right of all individuals and no one can force anyone to receive treatment against their wishes. The right to accept or refuse treatment persists in individuals who are incompetent from a legal point of view; this is exercised on their behalf by a third party. Children are considered incompetent to make medical decisions about their own health and their parents or legal guardians are empowered to make those decisions. However, parental authority is not absolute and there are situations where their decisions are not the best, sometimes leading to jeopardizing the well-being and even the lives of their children, forcing the state to intervene on behalf of the best interests of the child. This is the reason why it is necessary to ask the following questions: is it really the child's best interest that moves us to legally intervene when a parent refuses to accept the proposed medical treatment or is the damage done to make this decision? What kind of parental decisions are those that should not be tolerated? After a review of the theme, we conclude that if the decision of the parents regarding a medical decision is considered to be made with maleficence that is harmful to the child, it is justified that the State intervenes. Finally, we exposed four criteria that can be used in making decisions in complex cases where parents refuse treatment for their children.

Ethical and policy issues in newborn screening of children for neurologic and developmental disorders

Genetic testing for neurologic and developmental disorders spans the spectrum from universal newborn screening for conditions like phenylketonuria to diagnostic testing for suspected genetic conditions, to predictive genetic testing for childhood-onset conditions. Given that virtually all children in the United States undergo genetic screening in the newborn period, this article focuses on 3 actual case studies of neurologic and developmental disorders that have been included or proposed for inclusion in newborn screening programs: Duchenne muscular dystrophy (a neuromuscular disorder), Krabbe disease (a neurodegenerative disorder), and fragile X syndrome (a neurodevelopmental disorder).

"Both Sides of the Wheelchair": The Views of Individuals with, and Parents of Individuals with Friedreich Ataxia Regarding Pre-symptomatic Testing of Minors

Friedreich ataxia (FRDA) is an autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by variable age of onset, with no treatment proven to alter its natural history. Siblings of individuals with FRDA have a 25 % risk of developing the condition, raising issues around genetic testing of asymptomatic minors. There is a lack of professional consensus and limited empirical evidence to support provision or refusal of testing. This study aimed to ascertain the opinions of individuals with and parents of individuals with FRDA regarding pre-symptomatic testing of minors. A qualitative research approach using semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis was employed. Interviews with ten individuals with FRDA, and ten parents of individuals with FRDA were conducted, recorded, transcribed and analyzed. Four findings emerged. First, a number of arguments for and against testing minors were identified. Second, strong support existed from parents about the parental right to test their at-risk immature children, but individuals with FRDA were of mixed opinions. Third, participants felt it was not the clinician's role to make a final decision about whether testing occurs. Finally, a specific issue of concern regarding testing was what and when to tell at-risk children about the test result. The findings highlight a dilemma of how to manage the desires of some individuals and families affected by FRDA to access testing, when there is a lack of professional consensus due to differing opinions regarding autonomy, confidentiality and risk of harm. Research regarding the impact of testing and the views of at-risk individuals and clinicians is required so an appropriate framework for dealing with this contentious issue is developed.

A qualitative study of healthcare providers' perspectives on the implications of genome-wide testing in pediatric clinical practice

The utilization of genome-wide chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) in pediatric clinical practice provides an opportunity to consider how genetic diagnostics is evolving, and to prepare for the clinical integration of genome-wide sequencing technologies. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 15 healthcare providers (7 genetic counselors, 4 medical geneticists, and 4 non-genetics providers) to investigate the impact of CMA on clinical practice, and implications for providers, patients and families. Interviews were analyzed qualitatively using content analysis. Most providers reported that genomic testing enhanced their professional experience and was beneficial to patients, primarily due to the improved diagnostic rate compared with earlier chromosomal studies. Other effects on practice included moving towards genotype-first diagnosis and broadening indications for chromosomal testing. Opinions varied concerning informed consent and disclosure of results. The duty to disclose incidental findings (IFs) was noted; however concerns were raised about potential psychosocial harms of disclosing pre-symptomatic findings. Tensions were revealed between the need for comprehensive informed consent for all families and the challenges of communicating time-consuming and potentially anxiety-provoking information regarding uncertain and incidental findings that may be relevant only in rare cases. Genetic counselors can play an important role in liaising with families, health professionals and testing laboratories, providing education and guidance to non-genetics providers, and enabling families to receive adequate pre-and post-test information and follow-up care.

Effects of undergoing multiplex genetic susceptibility testing on parent attitudes towards testing their children

BACKGROUND

Parents may pursue common disease risk information about themselves via multiplex genetic susceptibility testing (MGST) for their children.

PURPOSE

To prospectively assess whether parents who received MGST disclosed their test results to their child, intended to change the child's health habits, or have the child tested.

METHODS

Eighty parents who opted for free MGST completed an online survey about a child in their household before undergoing MGST and a follow-up telephone survey 3 months after receiving results.

RESULTS

Few parents (21 %) disclosed results to the child. Undergoing MGST was unrelated to intentions to change the child's health habits but did increase parental willingness to test the child. Greater willingness to test a child was associated with positive attitudes toward pediatric genetic testing and intentions to change the child's health habits.

CONCLUSION

The experience of receiving MGST had little impact on parents' perceptions or behaviors related to their minor child.

Accepting adoption's uncertainty: the limited ethics of pre-adoption genetic testing

An increasing number of children are adopted in the United States from countries where both medical care and environmental conditions are extremely poor. In response to worries about the accuracy of medical histories, prospective adoptive parents increasingly request genetic testing of children prior to adoption. Though a general consensus on the ethics of pre-adoption genetic testing (PAGT) argues against permitting genetic testing on children available for adoption that is not also permitted for children in general, a view gaining traction argues for expanding the tests permitted. The reasoning behind this view is that the State has a duty to provide a child with parents who are the best "match," and thus all information that advances this end should be obtained. While the matching argument aims to promote the best interests of children, I show how it rests on the claim that what is in the best interests of children available for adoption is for prospective adoptive parents to have their genetic preferences satisfied such that the "genetics" of the children they end up adopting accurately reflects those preferences. Instead of protecting a vulnerable population, I conclude, PAGT contributes to the risks of harm such children face as it encourages people with strong genetic preferences to adopt children whose genetic backgrounds will always be uncertain.

Knowledge and attitudes to personal genomics testing for complex diseases among Nigerians

BACKGROUND

The study examined the knowledge and attitudes to personal genomics testing for complex diseases among Nigerians and identified how the knowledge and attitudes vary with gender, age, religion, education and related factors.

METHODS

Data were collected using qualitative method in 2 districts of the Federal Capital Territory. In the study, eight (8) Focused Group Discussions (FGDs) and twenty seven (27) Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) were conducted. Participants for the research were recruited among healthy Nigerians, individuals with complex diseases, health care professionals, community leaders and health policy makers.

RESULT

Analysis of the result showed that most respondents in both FGDs and KIIs had limited knowledge about genomics test initially. Their understanding of the test however improved after explanation on its concept. Participants showed positive attitude towards genomics tests. Nevertheless they expressed fear over direct to consumer personal genomics testing, testing unborn babies and disclosure of results to third parties. Culture and religion were found to influence the perspectives of respondents on genomics test particularly those aspects that could either directly contradict their beliefs and practices or lead to actions which contradict them.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, most Nigerians interviewed had limited knowledge of genomics test but with supportive attitude towards its use in predicting future risk of complex diseases after understanding the test concept. Genomics testing for complex diseases was not a common practice in Nigeria.

Grappling with genomic incidental findings in the clinical realm

We have learned a remarkable amount in recent decades about genomics and its potential contributions to human health and medical practice. However, genomic sequencing technology, which is starting to become incorporated into clinical care, also raises ethical challenges. In particular, there has been significant debate about the appropriate management of genomic incidental findings (GIFs), which we define as pathogenic or likely pathogenic test results that are not apparently relevant to the diagnostic indications for which the tests were ordered. Although there is an emerging consensus that clinicians will have at least some obligation to disclose GIFs to patients, the scope of that obligation is unclear. This commentary identifies nuanced issues that clinicians will likely face in the foreseeable future regarding their emerging obligations to disclose clinically actionable GIFs. Will clinicians be expected to look actively for GIFs? Should GIFs for adult-onset disorders be disclosed to children? What obligations will clinicians have to disclose GIFs to family members of deceased patients? What role should informed consent play? There is value to exploring the range of views on these questions at this time, before genomic sequencing has fully matured as a technology, so that clinicians can anticipate how they will respond to the discovery of GIFs once sequencing becomes a more routine part of clinical care. Genomics is ultimately going to play an important role in the practice of pulmonary medicine, and it is important for pulmonologists and other subspecialists to be well informed about what to expect.

Guidelines for return of research results from pediatric genomic studies: deliberations of the Boston Children's Hospital Gene Partnership Informed Cohort Oversight Board

PURPOSE

Approaches to return individual results to participants in genomic research variably focus on actionability, duty to share, or participants' preferences. Our group at Boston Children's Hospital has prioritized participants' preferences by implementing the Gene Partnership, a genomic research repository, based on the "Informed Cohort" model that offers return of results in accordance with participant preferences. Recognizing that ethical oversight is essential, the Gene Partnership Informed Cohort Oversight Board was convened in 2009.

METHODS

Over 3 years, the Informed Cohort Oversight Board developed guidelines for the return of individual genomic research results.

RESULTS

The Informed Cohort Oversight Board defined its guiding principles as follows: to respect the developing autonomy of pediatric participants and parental decision-making authority by returning results consistent with participants' preferences and to protect participants from harm. Potential harms and strategies to eliminate harm were identified. Guidelines were developed for participant preferences that consider the child's development and family dynamics. The Informed Cohort Oversight Board agreed that to prevent harm, including harms related to interfering with a child's future autonomy, there will be results that should not be returned regardless of participant preferences.

CONCLUSION

The Informed Cohort Oversight Board developed guidelines for the return of results that respect the preferences of parents, children, and adult participants while seeking to protect against harm.

Addressing the ethical challenges in genetic testing and sequencing of children

American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and American College of Medical Genetics (ACMG) recently provided two recommendations about predictive genetic testing of children. The Clinical Sequencing Exploratory Research Consortium's Pediatrics Working Group compared these recommendations, focusing on operational and ethical issues specific to decision making for children. Content analysis of the statements addresses two issues: (1) how these recommendations characterize and analyze locus of decision making, as well as the risks and benefits of testing, and (2) whether the guidelines conflict or come to different but compatible conclusions because they consider different testing scenarios. These statements differ in ethically significant ways. AAP/ACMG analyzes risks and benefits using best interests of the child and recommends that, absent ameliorative interventions available during childhood, clinicians should generally decline to order testing. Parents authorize focused tests. ACMG analyzes risks and benefits using the interests of the child and other family members and recommends that sequencing results be examined for additional variants that can lead to ameliorative interventions, regardless of age, which laboratories should report to clinicians who should contextualize the results. Parents must accept additional analysis. The ethical arguments in these statements appear to be in tension with each other.