My youngest daughter has platinum curls; my husband and I have dark brown locks. When questioned, I routinely tell nosy people, “All I can say for sure is that I know I’m the mom.” It’s a joke: I’m certain that he’s …
Pediatric Genetics
A Blood Test Determines a Baby’s Sex Earlier than Ever. But at What Cost?
Boy or girl? New research finds that a simple blood test can answer that question for expectant parents at just seven weeks, significantly earlier than results from procedures like ultrasound and with less risk than invasive …
Should a Gene Test Decide Which Sport Your Kid Should Play?
Millions of kids play sports. But are they playing the right ones? Forget fun; this is about — to borrow a catchphrase from Charlie Sheen — winning. Now, at least two companies are marketing DNA tests that purport to help …
Genetic Testing for Kids: Is It a Good Idea?
With the advent of new genetic tests, it’s increasingly easy to gauge whether you’re predisposed to developing certain conditions — diabetes, say, or breast cancer. For adults, that knowledge can be simultaneously …
Can a New Blood Test Make Babies with Down Syndrome Disappear?
What if new tests for Down syndrome could one day mean no more affected babies are born? Is that cause to celebrate medical advances or reason to worry we are callously weeding out the less-than-perfect in our midst?
Customized Kids: Parents Abort Twin Boys in Quest for Daughter
Of course, every parent-in-waiting hopes for a healthy baby, but most — whether they admit it or not — have a preference for one sex over the other. But to what extremes would you go to make it happen?
Why It’s Harder For Older Women to Have Healthy Babies
No one likes being labeled, but celebrate your 35th birthday and get pregnant and you’re out of luck: like it or not, the letters “AMA” get slapped across your chart.