IT'S MY DNA!
Baby DNA and Newborn Screening
TAKE ACTION - Find Out How Your Baby's DNA is Being Used 50 States - How Long State Government Keeps Your Baby's DNA Baby DNA and Newborn Screening Nationwide Protect Your Baby at the Hospital - MN "Newborn Rights" Sign to Post After Birth ...[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
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 10-PART OVERVIEW
NATURE Magazine Discusses CCHF's Baby DNA Efforts
Bearder v. State of Minnesota was brought by nine families who wanted the state to obrtain written informed consent to collect, store or use infants' blood samples. The lawsuit was spearheaded by the Citizens’ Council for Health Freedom in St Paul. CCHF Responds to MDH Press Release on Baby DNA
St. Paul/Minneapolis—Today, the Minnesota Department of Health issued a press release on their plan to begin destroying baby DNA as required by the Minnesota Supreme Court. Twila Brase, president of Citizens' Council for Health Freedom, provides the following comments:
"As opposed to Commissioner Ehlinger's quote, the newborn residual bloodspots are not a 'valuable public health resource,' they are the DNA of every newborn citizen, which the Department has been claiming as theirs. They've been storing, using, and sharing them for research without the consent of parents. It would be illegal for the State to collect and store the DNA of adults, but they have been doing it to up-and-coming adults, in other words, newborns, without authority and in violation of state law for years..."
MN Supreme Court Says State of Minnesota in Violation of MN Genetic Privacy LawThe Minnesota Supreme Court has ruled that the Minnesota Department of Health is violating the Minnesota Genetic Privacy Law with its storage, use and dissemination of newborn screening test results and newborn DNA. Minnesota Supreme Court Ruling Favors Genetic Privacy
The Minnesota Supreme Court today issued a ruling in support of the 9-famiies who sued the Minnesota Department of Health for violation of the state genetic privacy law.
Doctors' Townhall in Nashville
Twila Brase, president of CCHF, discusses the privacy implications of newborn genetic testing and State warehousing of Baby DNA, including State ownership of the DNA of every newborn citizen.
Baby DNA Lawsuits
On March 1, 2011, the Minnesota Supreme Court heard arguments on the nine-family lawsuit against the MN Dept of Health for the collection, storage, use, and dissemination of newborn DNA without the consent or knowledge of parents. Sign PetitionsHave your voice heard & make a difference.
FUND FREEDOM
CCHF is supported by your individual donations. We receive no government grants. Please be generous!
Patient Privacy
2nd Amend. in Obamacare
Baby DNA Warehousing
Obamacare Burden Tracker
Health Insurance Exchange
ACA - "Obamacare"
 
 Play/Pause
Social Networking
Special Reports
|
