The dangers of incest

Science catching up with incest...
:confused:
Gene tests inadvertently exposing cases of incest
11 Feb 2011 * Wider use of tests will likely turn up more cases * Study shows ethical challenges of DNA tests
New gene-based tests that map out a person's entire genetic code can help explain why a child has birth defects or developmental delays, but they are also exposing some dark family secrets.

Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston recently started using such tests and have uncovered several cases of likely incest, says Dr. Arthur Beaudet, chairman of molecular and human genetics at Baylor, who wrote about the problem on Thursday in the journal Lancet. The tests, called single nucleotide polymorphism-based arrays, allow doctors to scan a child's genome for extra or missing copies of genes that could explain their disability.

But they can also show large, identical chunks of DNA that a child might have inherited from two closely related relatives, such as a father and daughter, raising social and legal issues that institutions and the scientific community must address, Beaudet said in a telephone interview. "The concern mainly stems from the possibility of children being sexually abused in the home, most often girls between 12 and 16 years of age," he said.

Disabilities are frequent in children born of incestuous liaisons. In the past, doctors may have suspected a child was the product of incest, Beaudet said. "Now we have a routine test that we do in children with disabilities that makes it obvious." U.S. doctors are legally and ethically bound to disclose cases of suspected child abuse to authorities. "Most often we don't really suspect it and the lab result come as a surprise," Beaudet said.

'A LITTLE AGONY'
 

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