IT'S MY DNA!
Baby DNA and Newborn Screening
...[M]ost parents are completely stunned when they find out that their child's blood is being held by the State. They have no recollection and they think it's unlawful.
Dr. Sharon Kardia, University of Michigan, September 23, 2009.
Photo from 2005 MN Department of health provider manual
One FL baby says "Help! The Gov't Has My DNA"
Newborn screening is the most widely performed type of genetic testing in the United States today. . . . Most states, including New York, do not require parental consent. . . .
Most newborn screening programs, including New York's program, store residual newborn blood samples (bloodspots) and use them for research.
"Genetic Testing and Screening in the Age of Genomic Medicine (Exec. Summary), NY Dept. of Health.
Whether you like it or not, a complete [genomic] sequencing of newborns is not far away.
Francis Collins, Director, National Institutes of Health, October 26, 2009
CCHF Statements
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August 14, 2018
ST. PAUL, Minn.—Citizens’ Council for Health Freedom (CCHF) is responding after a District Court ruled in favor of the defense on a motion to dismiss a case involving Baby DNA in Michigan. Read the Aug. 8 Adam Kanuszewski, et. al. v. Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, et. al. decision here.
Press Releases
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May 07, 2018
ST. PAUL, Minn.—As things stand, in just over two months parents will lose their consent rights for the use of their newborn baby’s DNA for federally funded research, once the revised Common Rule goes into effect on July 19, 2018.
Press Releases
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April 23, 2018
ST. PAUL, Minn.—Citizens’ Council for Health Freedom (CCHF) is applauding a new lawsuit where a group of parents are suing the state of Michigan for “stolen blood” because the Michigan BioTrust for Health stores Baby DNA for research—without parental consent.
eNews Commentary
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April 18, 2018
The Michigan BioTrust for Health is storing newborn DNA for 100 years. Philip Ellison, the father of a newborn, is an attorney whose job is to sue the government. He got nine other families together in a federal lawsuit. And he sued the state health department and the biobank. His special web page: stolenblood.com. For more on issue: itsmydna.org
Press Releases
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December 26, 2017
ST. PAUL, Minn.—This past year was certainly eventful when it came to headlines that shaped the health care landscape. In fulfilling its mission to educate and engage Americans about health care policies that affect them personally, Citizens’ Council for Health Freedom (CCHF, www.cchfreedom.org) has been a voice of support or opposition, depending on the proposed statutory and regulatory revisions.
Press Releases
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October 30, 2017
ST. PAUL, Minn.—Citizens’ Council for Health Freedom (CCHF, www.cchfreedom.org) has been working diligently to ensure that protections for Baby DNA, the genetic blueprint of America’s youngest residents, is protected in the final version of the “Federal Policy for the Protection of Human Subjects,” known as the Common Rule.
Federal Reform
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October 30, 2017
Our organization discovered state-based “Baby DNA Warehousing” in 2003 -- and the use and sharing of newborn DNA for medical and genetic research without parental consent. As a result, four parent lawsuits (IN, MN, TX) have been filed and judges have required millions of newborn DNA blood spot cards stored by state government to be incinerated.
Press Releases
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September 18, 2017
ST. PAUL, Minn.—September is Newborn Screening Awareness Month, which educates parents about tests that help diagnose diseases and disorders early in their baby’s life. But during this awareness month, Citizens’ Council for Health Freedom (CCHF, www.cchfreedom.org) wants to inform Americans about how the federal ‘Common Rule’ actually strips parents and the nation’s youngest citizens of their rights.
Press Releases
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August 28, 2017
ST. PAUL, Minn.—The nation of Iceland is working to eradicate Down syndrome births by making sure expectant mothers know about government pre-natal testing that would show if their baby has the genetic disorder.
