IT'S MY DNA!

"[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 Florida 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

10 PART OVERVIEW - Newborn Genetic Screening, Baby DNA Warehousing Government Research & No Parent Consent

Parents and Newborns Harmed by Unconsented State Storage of Baby DNA

Press Releases • August 20, 2018

ST. PAUL, Minn.—Three important court cases involving Baby DNA are in progress in Michigan, and while one has suffered a setback, litigators and parents are pressing forward to ensure that their children’s genetic blueprint, and the genetic code of other newborn babies, is protected and kept private.

Judge Rules Against Parents in Baby DNA Case

CCHF Statements • 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.

US District Court Dismisses Michigan Baby DNA Case

Forms • August 13, 2018

Read the ruling to dismiss the Michigan Baby DNA lawsuit issued by the federal district court on August 8, 2018. The case will be appealed.

Revised Common Rule Strips Parents of Consent Rights Re: Baby DNA Used for Research

Press Releases • 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.

New Parent Lawsuit Exposes Stolen ‘Baby DNA,’ Says Citizens’ Council for Health Freedom

Press Releases • 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.

Parents Sue Michigan for Stolen Blood (“Baby DNA”)

eNews Commentary • 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

Hits and Misses for Health Freedom in 2017’s Top Headlines

Press Releases • 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.

CCHF Urges OMB to Include Parental Consent for Storage and Research of Baby DNA in Final Common Rule

Press Releases • 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.

Letter to OMB Director Mulvaney regarding Common Rule

Federal Reform • 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.

What Will Happen to Parental Consent and Privacy Rights Once Federal ‘Common Rule’ Hits its Original Deadline in Jan. 2018?

Press Releases • 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.