The Research Behind Child Births

According to the Austin American Statesman the house has tentatively approved a bill that would require the state to tell parents about the practice of storing blood that is taken from their newborns. It would let the parents refuse to do so but still allow the state to screen for birth defects and other disorders. Originally the bill stated that the parents would be given disclosure forms and they would have been allowed to ask the state to get rid of the samples after 60 days. But Rep. Jodie Laubenberg amended the house bill 1672 saying that it did not do enough to guard the rights of the parents and children.

So Laubenberg agreed to compromise that doctors, nurses, and others would be forced to disclose the storage policy and tell them that blood samples might be used for research. If parents did not want their children's blood to be used for research they would have to sign an opt-out form from the hospital or at home and then send it to the state. Under a stricter amendment that Laubenberg withdrew hospital and all others will have to have written consent to store the blood.

This bill is a great addition to our government. Parents have a right to know what their children's blood will be used for and whether or not they want their child to take part in the research. Like Dawn Richardson of Austin said "we have to absolutely safeguard how it is used...It may be used for things not in our children's best interest." Which is completely true although it may seem like a dumb bill to pass and many may say that we need the research but truly what is the research all about? We have no idea what the state is testing for and no parent would want to find out that the research was for DNA profiling or employment and insurance discrimination. 

All in all this is a great way to clarify what many parents have been wondering. It lets them choose whether or not they want to give their child's blood for a research that they might have not approved with at all. This is something that should have been done since the beginning, since every being reserves the right to know what goes on behind closed doors, especially if they, or their family member, are involved in it.