Genetic testing on newborns and the unborn

Genetic testing on newborns and the unborn

GENETICS

        If you had the chance to know your child's entire genetic makeup the day he or she was born, would you really want to know? There are two separate ways to look at genetic testing. The first way is having the knowledge....is power, in some cases. The second is if you don't know, it can’t hurt you. Sometimes I believe parents want to know because of the, "just in case" factor. If something is wrong, then they are better prepared for bad news. If you would've asked for my opinion a year ago, I would have told you I would not want to know what my sons make up were, yet when I was 15 weeks pregnant, I got curious... I went against my beliefs and went through with a fetal screening to see if Drake had Down’s syndrome.  I thought I didn't want to know the results, because no matter what the results, I would love my son unconditionally anyway.  There was not a thing I could do to change the outcome of the results. Yet, I still proceeded with the test for that; "just in case" reason I brought up earlier in my essay. I realize that maybe I DID want to know so that we could better prepare ourselves just in case the results weren't good. When the test results came back, I was so nervous (and my stress level was about to cause a massive explosion), because something like genetic abnormalities is a big deal...this is our child’s life we are talking about. The #1 con of having genetic testing done is that the outcome of the test results can be so stressful, and no matter what the results are, it is what it is, and the results and conditions of the child’s life are going to be up to God. (Finally, I had the test results. The results came back negative for Down syndrome, I had clarity, I had relief, and I had knowledge.) I didn't have to worry about the” what if” or the not knowing part of the pregnancy anymore; I just felt satisfied. Being at the state of unpreparedness would have scared me even more. 

            It is such a hard choice make...genetic testing. (I don't know or even have a clue as to what I would do if the test results were different.)I believe I am so set on my opinion about genetics because my story is so good. I was blessed with a perfect, healthy, baby boy , some parents aren't that lucky.I was okay with the testing. But just what if the results weren't good? Would I still be okay with knowing? Or would I just be mad, upset, and angry with God! These emotional flaws are why I think it is good NOT to know, say a woman is carrying a baby that has the gene that carries Down syndrome, but she didn't know the baby had this syndrome; the woman would still have a normal, happy, and healthy pregnancy. The mother would have no knowledge of this complication. Therefore, she would not have the stress that comes along with knowing. She would have less stress not knowing and would keep the child from more harm by lowering the stress level . But the fact that the unknown is still unknown leaves the family from being prepared. It is a very, very hard decision, choice, even opinion, what would you want to do?