In 2013, The Onion said that baby girls are "deformed freaks" and that Down syndrome is a defect. The latter, particularly, made some people mad. Continue Reading
December 3, 2013
What to expect when you’re expecting: give the baby some gin?
A recent column collected medical advice written about pregnancy 100 years ago. It serves as a reminder for critical thinking about medical recommendations for pregnant moms. Continue Reading
November 27, 2013
Is non-directiveness in prenatal genetic testing a myth?: Gladwell’s Blink and implicit associations of Down syndrome
On Sunday, 60 Minutes profiled author Malcolm Gladwell on his new book about underdogs. In a previous book Blink, Gladwell explored how we think without thinking. His writing explains why some people laugh at the notion of non-directive counseling about prenatal testing. Continue Reading
November 25, 2013
“Any/Particular” critique of disability selective abortion: remembering Adrienne Asch
Over the weekend, an important voice in the discussion of the ethics of prenatal testing for disability fell silent. Adrienne Asch made critical contributions from a seemingly conflicted position: vigorously pro-choice but condemning of selective abortion for disability. Continue Reading
November 22, 2013
“We choose to go to the moon:” remembering John F. Kennedy, C.S. Lewis, the power of imagination, and choosing Down syndrome
Today we commemorate the 50th anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, a very sad day in our nation's history. The words of President Kennedy, and the words of someone else who died that same day, share a wisdom about how we should make choices for our future. Continue Reading
November 20, 2013
Sequenom’s testing is not patentable: uses conventional techniques, not innovative
At the end of October, Judge Susan Illston of the Northern District federal court of California ruled that Sequenom's patent for its non-invasive testing was not patentable. Here's the surprising reasons why: Continue Reading
November 19, 2013
The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here …
Today is the 150th Anniversary of the Gettysburg Address. President Lincoln predicted that "the world will little note, nor long remember what we say here." By marking this anniversary, hopefully we will prove Lincoln wrong. Continue Reading
November 17, 2013
“Just because something’s always been done that way, doesn’t mean it should continue to be done that way”
"But that's how we've always done it." Who has not heard this--in a group project, at a business meeting, when someone proposes changing the order of a church service--and been incredibly frustrated? Here's a lesson from someone who decided to do something different. Continue Reading
November 15, 2013
Where the DoD/VA prenatal testing guidelines fall short: the need for post-test counseling
With Veterans Day starting off this week, I have been examining the Department of Defense/Veterans Administrations guidelines concerning prenatal genetic testing. So far, the guidelines provide the most robust recommendations for pre-test counseling. Here, however, is where the guidelines fall short. Continue Reading
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