Newborns' Blood Samples Used For Research Without Parent’s Consent
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Newborns' Blood Samples Used For Research Without Parent’s Consent
Blood samples from millions of Texas newborns are being used for research without the consent of the babies’ parents.
Reporter: By Bernadette Flores
Email Address: bernadette.flores@kwtx.com
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WACO (February 23, 2009)--Blood samples from millions of newborn Texas babies are being used for research, without parental consent, according to the Department of State Health Services, which has been collecting the samples since 2002 when the department began collecting and keeping the blood indefinitely for current or future medical research.

The law does not require parental consent.

"Requiring permission might be more costly and could require more time of hospital staff," said Doug McBride, a spokesman for DSHS.

For 44 years, a state-mandated newborn screening program has required hospitals to draw blood from the heels of newborns to test for a variety of genetic defects and diseases.

For the last seven years, those samples have been sent to Texas A&M University for storage and for research at other facilities, which requires approval from DSHS and its Institutional Review Board.

But many parents News 10 talked with say they had no idea this was happening.

McBride said he isn't surprised but assures parents they have nothing to worry about.

He said the samples are sent with no identifying information about the donor.


Latest Comments

Posted by: Anonymous on Feb 25, 2009 at 11:12 AM

It's not that the people who have commented are uneducated at all. They are educated enough to know that it is wrong for the hospitals to be able to do this without consent. I personally do not feel that they are "cloning babies" or doing anything else out of the ordinary, but nonetheless, it iw WRONG to take a baby's, or anyone's blood without consent.
Posted by: Dr. Who Location: Waco on Feb 25, 2009 at 10:22 AM

I like the way you think, Tex. At least if we went back to survival of the fittest, maybe the public would finally accept evolution! But then again, they probably wouldn't.
Posted by: researcher Location: Waco on Feb 25, 2009 at 09:40 AM

In order to be educated in any subject we must be taught! People don't just guess how to be educated! There is enough information out there...substantiated evidence...of how secretive and self-improving those in the scientific community really are. There is WAY TOO MUCH scientists are hiding from the people...TOP SECRET...and when they choose to use or abuse what they have then you people who are blabbing to "get educated" will be the ones who get educated! TO: DR WHO- all it takes is a small sample of blood to retrieve very vital info...when many samples are merged---chosen samples---who knows what a "mad scientist" could do?? Point is consent should be MANDATORY!! When no consent is given and the media brings it out...you are bound to have people question it! Think about it...if you can look on GOOGLE and find someone's front door who's to say it stops there? Scientists built those satellites for goodness sake. HUMANS have gotten tooooo big for their britches!!
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