Some parents would like the ability to predict the future, in terms of their child's risk for certain chronic health conditions.
Parents who were offered genetic testing to predict their own risks of common health conditions say they would also test their children, according to a new study published online today in Pediatrics. Experts, however, say the tests are of little value at this time.
The study, done at Georgetown University, surveyed over 200 parents who had been offered genetic testing for susceptibility to 8 common health conditions, including heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, osteoporosis, and colon, skin, and lung cancer.
Those parents were then asked a series of questions, including if they would consider having their child tested. No children were actually tested in this study.
Even though parents felt their children were in good health and were at low risk of developing the diseases in question, most would opt to have their child tested.
Most parents felt that the perceived benefits of genetic testing outweighed the possible risks. Parents readily listed benefits such as knowledge, reassurance, and prevention. Whereas researchers had to educate them on the risks, such as invasion of privacy, psychological discomfort, and lack of proven clinical utility.
National advisory groups and physician organizations caution against use ofover-the-counter (OTC) tests for children. These tests only give a slight increased risk for the population as a whole, and are not meant to convey an individual's actual risk. Furthermore, these genetic tests are unregulated and have not been shown to have any clinical significance.
These OTC genetic tests, available at drug stores and online, use large panels of gene variants that may be associated with an increased risk of common health conditions. However, they include so many genetic variants, that many individuals who are tested come back positive for at least one risk.
Common health conditions, such as diabetes and high blood pressure, are though to have many causes, some of which are not yet known.
Thus, it is difficult to interpret how much one type of gene can actually increase a person's risk of that disease.
Researchers warn that parents may not accurately anticipate how they will react to the results of testing. They may not be prepared for their response to a positive test result, which could negatively impact the child.
The authors recommend that pediatricians should become aware of parents' interest in testing children and should be prepared to provide information and advice on the matter.
