Tag Archives: genetic testing

Genetic Test Promises to Tell If Your Baby Will Be a Star Athlete

Have you ever heard of the snake oil salesman? This was a vendor that travelled all around selling special concoctions that were supposedly good for curing anything that ailed you from thinning hair to heart attack. But the sales of these potions relied more on the conning ability of the salesman rather than the veracity of the the substance. Today we use the term to denote someone who is selling something that has no scientific basis or proven fact behind it. Today’s snake oil salesman may just be a company called Atlas Sports Genetics. This company wants to test your … Continue reading →

Figuring Out What Fido Is: Doggie DNA Tests

About a month ago Murph and I ran into a neighbor, Marlene, and her dog Zeus. Zeus is a very big dog (I want to say in the 100 pound range) and a mix of some sort. Maybe Saint Bernard, maybe Newfoundland, maybe even Lab. Marlene’s not quite sure…but she now has a way to find out. Unlocking The Genetic Safe to Determine a Dog’s Breed She told me about a company called MetaMorphix that sells a DNA testing kit specifically designed to determine a dog’s breed. It’s called the Canine Heritage Breed Test. You order the kit online (costs … Continue reading →

Acu Gen Baby Mentor–Predicting Baby’s Gender by 5 Weeks?

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Or maybe not. . . Acu Gen Baby Mentor claims to predict your baby’s gender as early as 5 weeks with 99.9% accuracy. While genetic specialists doubt its claims doctors specializing in bioethics say that this is not a good thing. Is the Test Valid? It is important to know that the sale of this test is not FDA approved. According to a spokeman, the test looks for genetic DNA material and other “active” markers to indicate the gender of a baby. On its website, it claims that over 20,000 babies have been accurately tested spanning over 14 years. However, … Continue reading →

Does your man have the “Stupid Gene?”

Ever secretly suspected that women are smarter than men? Ever wondered why there are whole pages in women’s magazines devoted to the silly things that men do? One man has now lifted the lid on Secret Men’s Business: the fact that some men actually possess The Stupid Gene. Read on…. Scientists have long been studying the elements of intelligence, and now with the advent of gene mapping and DNA studies, we are rapidly adding to our knowledge base about all aspects of the human body and how it works. But the brain is the final frontier and now scientists are … Continue reading →

“If Only We Had Known…” Couples Sue over Wrongful Life

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Is having a special needs child worse than death? Apparently for some parents, it is. A number of couples are now suing their obstetricians for not informing them about testing procedures available during their pregnancy, which would have exposed fetal conditions such as spina bifida. In other words, they lost the opportunity to make an informed choice about continuing the pregnancy. According to the law in many states, physicians must inform expectant couples of all their prenatal testing options. Personally, I don’t blame parents for wanting to know about the health of their unborn child. And prenatal testing can provide … Continue reading →