Neonatal Genetic Testing is More Than Screening

Newborn screening practices have changed since breakthroughs have occurred in genetics and mapping of the human genome. Although newborn screening has been in existence since the 1960s, today's newborn screening practices are subsumed primarily under the umbrella of genetic testing. Inclusion of the family history tool is another dimension of neonatal assessment. Technology allows many noninvasive tests to be run at a low cost but with this advance comes ethical and legal dilemmas. This article discusses neonatal genetic testing and some of the ethical dilemmas that arise.