Potential Psychosocial Risks of Sequencing Newborns

Area of Science:

• Pediatric genomics
• Psychosocial impact of genetic testing
• Family dynamics research

Background:

• Stakeholder recommendations highlight psychosocial risks of pediatric genomic information disclosure.
• Genomic sequencing is increasingly used in pediatric care, necessitating study of its family impact.
• Existing literature suggests potential effects on family dynamics during the newborn period.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically investigate the psychosocial impact of newborn genomic sequencing on family dynamics.
• To identify specific domains of family dynamics affected by returning genomic results in newborns.
• To outline methods for studying these complex psychosocial outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Review of psychological and genetic counseling literature to identify key family dynamic domains.
• Examination of perceived child vulnerability, parent-child bonding, and self/partner blame.
• Utilizing the BabySeq Project, a randomized controlled trial comparing genomic information return to standard care in infants.

Main Results:

• Identification of three key domains of family dynamics potentially impacted: perceived child vulnerability, parent-child bonding, and self/partner blame.
• Acknowledgement of the complexity in studying these psychosocial outcomes.
• Establishment of a framework for examination within the BabySeq Project.

Conclusions:

• Newborn genomic sequencing has potential psychosocial impacts on family dynamics that require careful study.
• The BabySeq Project provides a robust design to investigate these impacts.
• Understanding these effects is crucial for responsible implementation of pediatric genomics.