IT'S MY DNA!

 

Storing and Using Newborn DNA—Without Parent Consent

"[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

 

America’s Health Care System Increasingly Unsafe

America’s Health Care System Increasingly Unsafe

ST. PAUL, Minn.—The blue and white “H” signs signifying a nearby hospital should be symbols of safety and help for those in need of medical care. But increased privacy intrusions, growing threats to parental rights, and encroaching government regulations that diminish quality of care have all contributed to making our nation’s health care system an increasingly unsafe place for Americans. 

House to Vote Tuesday on Newborn Blood Screening without Parental Consent

House to Vote Tuesday on Newborn Blood Screening without Parental Consent

ST. PAUL, Minn.—The U.S. House of Representatives will vote on Tuesday on the Newborn Screening Saves Lives Reauthorization Act of 2014 (H.R.1281), which would extend for five years the funding program that allows states to collect and store newborn DNA without parental consent.

Babies Die from Federal Medical Experiments

Babies Die from Federal Medical Experiments

Federal officials are defending an unconscionable act. Between 2005 and 2009, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) supported research on 1,316 premature newborns without requiring parents to be told their baby could die and the baby’s oxygen monitor would not show their child’s true oxygen level. 

ACLU opposes new law allowing state to keep newborn blood samples

ACLU opposes new law allowing state to keep newborn blood samples

A bill signed into law earlier this week by Gov. Mark Dayton allows the health department to collect and store blood samples taken from newborn babies for an indefinite period of time, unless parents opt-out of the program.

Governor Mark Dayton Signs Bill Repealing Parental Consent, Genetic Privacy Rights for Newborn Babies

Governor Mark Dayton Signs Bill Repealing Parental Consent, Genetic Privacy Rights for Newborn Babies
Citizens’ Council for Health Freedom (CCHF, www.cchfreedom.org) released the following statement after Governor Mark Dayton signed a bill yesterday allowing the state to collect and store DNA without parental consent.

Minnesota House Rejects Parental Consent and Genetic Privacy Rights for Newborn Babies

Minnesota House Rejects Parental Consent and Genetic Privacy Rights for Newborn Babies

Citizens’ Council for Health Freedom (CCHF, www.cchfreedom.org) released the following statement after the Minnesota State House voted 69-58 yesterday to repeal genetic privacy for newborns and allow the state to collect and store newborn DNA without parental consent.
 

Minnesota Senate Votes to Eliminate Genetic Privacy Rights for Newborn Babies

Minnesota Senate Votes to Eliminate Genetic Privacy Rights for Newborn Babies

The Citizens’ Council for Health Freedom (CCHF, www.cchfreedom.org) released the following statement after the Minnesota State Senate voted yesterday to repeal genetic privacy for newborns and allow the state to collect and store newborn DNA without parental consent. The vote was on bill S.F. 2047, the Newborn Screening Program Modification.
 

Government Warehousing of DNA a Disturbing State Secret

Government Warehousing of DNA a Disturbing State Secret

As parents happily hold their newborn babies and dream of watching them grow up, the government is silently storing their DNA for use in research and analysis, all without parental consent.
 

5 Reasons to Oppose Baby DNA Bill

5 Reasons to Oppose Baby DNA Bill

This bill undermines the Nov. 2011 MN Supreme Court decision on parent control over newborn genetic information, and the consequent 2012 amendments to require parent consent. The focus of this bill is not newborn screening; it’s on what happens to the child’s DNA and genetic test results post-screening.

SF 2047 Testimony by Council for Responsible Genetics

SF 2047 Testimony by Council for Responsible Genetics

". . . We stand in strong opposition to SF 2047.  We believe this bill is against the interests of parents in making a truly informed choice about whether the state of Minnesota shall permanently retain and use their children's personal genetic information . . . "