This week’s TIME cover story (available to subscribers here) asks a simple question with a complicated answer. Sophisticated DNA testing is allowing parents to learn more about the health of their children than ever before, but how much do we really want to know? Doctors are starting to use genome sequencing, which scans a person’s entire genetic code, to map the DNA of children, with the hope of catching diseases early and offering targeted treatments. But the tests can also detect mutations for diseases that may not develop for decades, if at all. Think about it for a minute: would you want to know if your toddler has an increased risk of getting cancer?
View the original article here: ‘Want to Know My Future’? Parents Grapple with Delving into Their Kids’ DNA
