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Big Brother opens door for GINA genetic testing bill
Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) of 2008 is expected to be signed into law by President Bush soon.
GINA will amend laws to prohibit a group health plan from adjusting premium or contribution amounts for a group on the basis of genetic information.
Reluctance to get genetic tests range from being fired, priced out of health insurance or dropped from coverage altogether.
Having been used to diagnose fetal problems for inherited diseases, the scope of testing has expanded in the last decade.
There are now about 1,500 genetic tests.
Washington’s Public Citizen group stated that some people have been misled by inaccurate results, and industry oversight is scant and superficial. As the new law takes effect, testing of the genetic tests also needs to be a priority.
My question: How will Big Brother safeguard the DNA tests? Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) of 2008 is expected to be signed into law by President Bush soon. ... more -
Want a son? Eat a high calorie diet says study
Likewise, a low-energy diet that skimps on calories, minerals and nutrients is more likely to yield a female of the human species, says the study, published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, Britain's de facto academy of sciences. Likewise, a low-energy diet that skimps on calories, minerals and nutrients is more likely to yield a female of the human species, say... more
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Heart risk may start in the womb
Babies whose mothers develop pre-eclampsia in pregnancy may be at greater risk of cardiovascular disease in later life, a study suggests.
Pre-eclampsia, a relatively common pregnancy complication, or problems with the placenta can reduce the amount of oxygen the fetus receives.
This appears to retard growth and damage the baby's cardiovascular, metabolic and endocrine systems.
The findings are to be presented at a Society for Endocrinology meeting. Babies whose mothers develop pre-eclampsia in pregnancy may be at greater risk of cardiovascular disease in later life, a study sugges... more -
Living For Two - Fetus health profoundly impacted by outside world
What women eat, touch and breathe during pregnancy now appears to be more important to their babies' health than anyone ever imagined.
Mounting scientific evidence suggests that fetuses are surprisingly susceptible to outside influences, such as food, environmental chemicals and pollutants, infections, even stress. Under this theory -- called fetal programming -- babies are born not just with traits dictated by their parents' genes, such as brown eyes and olive skin. They may be born with a tendency to develop asthma, diabetes or other illnesses based on what their mothers ate and were exposed to during pregnancy. What women eat, touch and breathe during pregnancy now appears to be more important to their babies' health than anyone ever imag... more
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Fetal Health
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Fetal Health
