Genetic Tests Can Unearth Family Secrets, Such as Incest

At Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, sophisticated DNA analyses used to diagnose such disabilities as birth defects, epilepsy or developmental delays revealed that in some children, about 25 percent of genetic material inherited from their mother was the same as material inherited from their father.  In the few months that Baylor has been performing these detailed genetic tests, there have been fewer than 10 cases of consanguinity -- the phenomenon of inheriting the same gene variations from two closely related people, said Dr. Arthur L. Beaudet, chairman of Baylor's department of molecular and human genetics.  Children of first-degree relatives face a risk of disability up to 50 percent higher than that of children born to unrelated moms and dads, Beaudet said. No one has good estimates on the prevalence of children born from incestuous relationships.  genetic testing that analyzes single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs, pronounced "snips"), which are variations in single building blocks of DNA, can inadvertently reveal the secrets of a child's birth. That is forcing health professionals to consider the most ethical ways to handle potentially incriminating or otherwise damaging information.

I think this is great research that should be made more known and aware to people.  The chances of some sort of genetic problem in children is not rare in these consanguineous relationships.  Yet, some people are so illiterate or ignorant to these facts.  Its ridiculous.  I had once read a study where 66% of consanguineous relationships in England have children with some kind of medical issues.  But this research is definitely helping in the cases of young girls who are being sexually abused and stay quiet, and other related events.