Mapping Johnny’s Genome
Scientists mapped the human genome to help the human race.
Genetic testing for the ACTN3 gene, starting with infants, is now being marketed to parents by a Colorado company, with this tease: “Finding any great Olympic champion normally takes years to determine. What if we knew a part of the answer when we were born?”
In other words:
Mouth swab to identify ACTN3 gene: $149
Identification of future sports-great while still in diapers: priceless.
A 2003 study of elite adult athletes who carry the ACTN3 gene found that variants of it are linked to a natural predisposition to excel in speed and power sports like sprinting and football, as well as endurance sports like distance running.
Sign my kid up, said the mother of a 2-year-old who takes soccer lessons. “I could see how some people might think the test would pigeonhole your child into doing fewer sports or being exposed to fewer things,” she said, “but I think it’s good to match them with the right activity.”
Critics of the testing say matching 2-year-olds with one sport—and at the expense of broader experiences—carries no guarantee that a kid will grow up to bend it like Beckham. “The idea that it will be one or two genes that are contributing to the Michael Phelpses or the Usain Bolts of the world I think is shortsighted because it’s much more complex than that,” said a genomics expert, who noted that athletic performance is affected by at least 200 genes.
Test results—known as a “Genetic Athletic Talent Report”—come with a certificate called “Your Genetic Advantage.” But it’s a disadvantage that has many talking. “What I fear it would become is one more way for parents to insure that their children never learn to fail,” wrote one mother, who paraphrased a psychologist: ‘If you never fail, you never learn that you can pick yourself back up again.’
Tell us what you think: Is helping a child excel at sports a parental responsibility or a parental obsession? Should genetic testing of children be used to establish sports dominance?
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Money back guarantee?
How about a genetic test for finding the gene for self-serving, xenophobic parents? As a retired soccer referee, I can’t even imagine what might come from the sidelines with this type of testing available. Can we not just let our children be children and stop living vicariously through them? So what happens when your kid has the propensity for the sport but not the drive or enthusiasm? Do the parents get their money back? Can they return the kid?
elizabeth | 12 months ago
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Is genetic testing even real, and why is it?
What are the pros and cons of genetic testing?
ANN MARIE | 7 months, 3 weeks ago
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Anyone interested in this topic should see the movie Gattaca.
Stephen R | 10 months, 3 weeks ago
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Question
Can a child develop genetic disorders if the Mother drank alcohol before the pregnancy, or from a drinking or smoking Father with multiple diseases.
flori mckoy | 10 months ago
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is this legal
Will a judge accept this in court? Are there legalities involved?
Bernadine Gordon | 9 months, 2 weeks ago
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To all the naysayers
I think it is wonderful that we can start to determine what possibilities are available to our children through their genetic markers. But, I think that it is horrible that we would predetermine what our children do based on the knowledge. Potential is exactly that, potential (if you don’t know the definition, look it up). If I was found to have only half of the potential as another child but used all of my potential while they only used a fraction, who would succeed? I think it is nice to know that you can nurture a potential if the child has a propensity for that skill. However, I think it would be tragic, is tragic, when a parent forces a child to do something they don’t like, regardless of the presence of a genetic marker.
Mark Schierling | 9 months, 2 weeks ago
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LEARNER
Mark, I believe that what you say is very true. We all have potentials now that we do not use. We may even know what they are. Gene testing will allow those with interest in the future to assess which decisions are most likely to provide the best results. We are our choices and our best choices are made when we are most informed. Bias and ignorance conspire to hold us hostage.
LARRY WHITWORTH | 5 months, 2 weeks ago
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LEARNER
What is a reasonable time frame for the capability to obtain gene analysis for determining genetic predisposition to specific diseases and potential degenerative conditions? That appears to me to be the real payback in this line of inquiry that is to avoid many of the pitfalls of living rather than the same old method of attempting to cure a disease or condition retro-actively.
larry whitworth | 5 months, 2 weeks ago
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Four point viewing on these procedures...
In my opinion theses are things that science administrations and FDA standards should and have to review before doing such unthinkable things such as using children and humans on such profounding terms.
1)Religous point of view on one side would defy this in accordances of against humanity.AKA “Let God sort out and let Him lead us in our journey of life.”
2)The courts will “evict others in determining about genetics which would then establish favorisms and pre-judgementations without hearing the freedom of speak on accordances of jury vs convicted”.
3) The big thing here I see is the standard denying of pulling of genetics is to reduce, and bettering quality of the nations. Being able to determine the Dexo on the verge of correction as of birth perfections or defects this seems messy to think of such as of eventually after birth situations.(Relating back to Hitler< Militant camps with blue eyes,blonde haired German males etc..) Maybe in future being taken the technology for examples, convert retardation and remove the extra gene. The healthy version. Overall, this is the only advantage I see fitting.Which is still not very seeming to fit in my opinion.
4)In fact,“What stops the preknowns of genetic science administrations of two things: creating denial of such one genetics of the knowledge of one kind and turn everyone into future human-like robots on the possible for militant usages or everyday living morons to keep us normals among the dark. Which in means, what could keep this new break through from actuality getting into the wrongful hands?” If there is a presence to determine by break down there can be a cause to replace, remove and/or deny of one such genetic standards and be replaced of other standards.
Overall, I think its best as a theortic Darwin fanatic would say,” Let all that would,will,and capable be evolution.” As for this genetic procedure. My own theory: “Messing with the mess of things can be sometimes disturbing to the mess of things..”
“I guess the big A was right, history has a way of repeating itself and in these defined times We ALL need to know and be reminded of this one way or of others….”
G.Loca Muscatine | 9 months, 1 week ago
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Genetic testing on kids
It’s very premature to genetic testing on kids. Even human genome is not completely sequenced and the functions of about 50 percent genes are unknown. I think we have to explore all background information about the human genome before any trial on humans.
Zia ur Rahman | 5 months, 2 weeks ago
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