In a recent article on Medical News, a woman in Dallas gave birth to twins who have different biological fathers. The woman admits that she had an affair around the time she conceived the twins. What happened was that she released two eggs during ovulation and since she slept with both men, the sperm from each of them made it to both eggs. One man’s sperm fertilized one egg and the other man’s sperm fertilized the other. This is actually a common phenomenon in animals that have multiple sex partners and is called heteropaternal superfecundation.
How unbelievable is that? When you think of twins, you would never think they would have had two different fathers. As you might know, fraternal twins don’t usually look as much alike as identical ones because fraternal twins come from two separate fertilized eggs which means two different genetic make ups while identical twins come from one egg with the same DNA.
The woman in the article says that she won’t tell the son that has a different father until he is able to understand. How interesting that discussion will be, “Son, your brother is your twin, but you have two different fathers.” Huh? That discussion will be a hard lesson in biology and human reproduction.
While this report was from four years ago, I thought it was important to post to give others hope when it comes to finding relatives through DNA testing and like in this case, the Internet. In this blog post, Teenager Finds Sperm Donor Dad on Internet, a teenager took a DNA test by the swab method and sent it to an online lab. When he received his results, he searched the Internet for men with some match to his and that is how he found his sperm donor dad.
You may wonder whether the dad wanted to be found. It seems as though he did since he had his information online. Of course, this outcome may not be possible for many people since not everyone would go through a DNA test to find out where their sperm ended up, but it’s worth a try if you in the same situation. You just never know.
What are the benefits of finding your biological father? The first is that you can stop wondering if the person sitting next to you on the bus is your real father. The second benefit is you can discuss any medical problems your father’s side carries. This way, you can take steps to prevent disease that may have an onset later in life.
People who believe they are of Native American (NA) decent, are interested in knowing the real truth of their ancestors. They want to know if they truly have a NA lineage. Now with DNA tests, people can finally know whether they have some NA blood running through their bodies.
Knowing if you have NA ancestry can help you unlock the door of finding more about your family history as well as any genetic disorders typical of Native Americans. Once you know that you have this family history, you can obtain additional genetic testing to rule out possible susceptibility to certain genetic diseases.
In this article, an explanation of how DNA tests are used to determine NA ancestry is discussed. The author explains that if you believe you have NA on your father’s or your grandfather’s side, you can take a Y-DNA test. If you believe you have NA on your mother’s or grandmother’s side, you can take the MtDNA test. If you are unsure which side you believe NA ancestry may be present or you are just taking a stab in the dark on the possibility of having this background, you can take the Autosomal DNA test.
No matter what test you take, it won’t tell you what tribe your ancestors were a part of. It will only tell you the percentage of NA you are.
Do you believe you are of NA decent? Would you take a test to find out for sure?
Researchers have known that testicular cancer has a genetic link because it’s been identified that men with fathers or brothers that have the cancer usually have a likelihood of developing it themselves. However, new developments in gene research has brought more information to this observation of the genetic link to testicular cancer.
In a recent news break, the gene KITLG has been identified as the culprit in testicular cancer. Men who have two copies of this gene are at a 4.5 times higher rate of developing it as opposed to men who have a different version of the gene.
You either have these rare genes or you don’t. The way you get the genes is from your father, grandfather and it goes back from there. If you are a man and your brother has testicular cancer, it just means that your father probably had the genes and passed them on to him…but it doesn’t mean that you inherited them.
How do you know if you did inherit the two KITLG genes? Genetic DNA testing. Contact your doctor and let him/her know that you have a family history of testicular cancer and you want to be tested. Just know that many insurance companies are not paying for genetic DNA testing yet, especially for new findings such as this one. Call your insurance company to find out and if not, ask how much one of these tests will run because different companies charge different amounts.
A recent article, Europe Calls for Earlier Genetic Tests on Children, discusses that Europe guidelines are recommending that children receive genetic DNA testing as soon as possible if there is a family history for a disorder or disease. The European Society of Human Genetics strongly urges that children receive the genetic DNA testing if the possible inherited disease or disorder is treatable or preventable.
One of the thoughts brought up in the article is if it is necessary to test children if a family inherited disease doesn’t usually have an onset until adulthood such as breast cancer. Of course, it would be useful to know if someone is predisposed to suffering from breast cancer but it might not be useful to know at such an early age.
The focus on genetic DNA testing in Europe is a positive step in the future of genetic testing overall. While the United States offers genetic testing, there isn’t a nationwide recommendation for it. It is usually offered on an individual basis for people who are concerned about their children or themselves. Many people may not even think about getting genetic DNA testing unless a professional brings it up. With a nationwide recommendation such as the one in Europe, many more Americans may take advantage of this valuable testing tool for disease and disorders.
Testing children early for adult onset diseases may help them take steps as soon as possible to prevent the disease. It also ensures that the parents have done everything in their power to give their children the health information they need to combat medical issues. Another positive of testing children for the genetic marker of an adult onset disease is that young adults may not be concerned about it and by the time they are, they may already be suffering from it.
If you were in Europe, would you be in favor of this recommendation and follow it? Of course, it’s still your choice if you want to have your children tested but with this reminder about the usefulness of the test and preventing health issues, would you be able to turn your head and decline it?
In a recent article, Can Gene Test Predict Child’s Athleticism?, Atlas Sports Genetics performs genetic tests to determine if a child will grow up to be athletic. The company looks at the ACTN3 gene by taking a DNA sample with a simple swab of a child’s cheek and compares it to the genes of professional athletes.
Why Test for the Athletic Gene
If you are skeptical about genetic testing, you may scoff at this new type of genetic testing. After all, knowing if a child has the “athletic gene” is not necessary and at $150 a test, you may find it a waste of money. However, it may be useful to think about the long term benefits of knowing this information about your child.
Encouraging Your Child
Playing sports is a great way for a child to build self-confidence and esteem. Encouraging your child to excel at what he/she is good at will help foster that value your child should hold for him/herself. Kids these days have so many negative influences coming from peers and media. Showing your children that they can become active in sports and in their life will help them see that they have control over their life, not others.
Helping Your Child Choose an Activity
If the genetic test comes back saying that your child doesn’t have the “athletic gene” it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t still encourage your child to try sports. If your child has an interest in something, be there for your child. If he/she does not do well and starts to feel bad about him/herself, you may want to encourage your child to try other activities that will make him/her feel good. The benefit of having this test is that you will understand why your child may not do as well as you or he/she would like and then be able to encourage your child to excel at something else.
What do you think of this testing? Would you test your child for the “athletic gene”?
If you have a family history of heart attack, stroke or blood clots, warfarin may be able to help you or other family members at risk. Warfarin is an anticoagulant. It helps reduce blood clots by blocking the factors that contribute to blood clotting. The issue with warfarin medication such as Coumadin and Jantoven is that the exact dosage is essential to its effectiveness as well as the health of the person. Taking too much of the medication could result in internal bleeding while not taking enough may not protect against blood clots.
Why Use Genetic Tests for Warfarin
One of the ways to determine the dosage of warfarin is with genetic testing. Variation in genes tell doctors which blood thinning medication would be most effective for a patient, the dosage that would be the most effective, and if the patient may experience serious side effects.
Testing is quite expensive ranging from $50 to $500 for each test and many insurance companies are not footing the bill since genetic testing for warfarin dosage is still quite new. Even though these insurance companies might save on money in the long term if a patient gets the right medication with the right dosage right off the bat. However, with more research insurance companies might begin to believe in the validity of the tests so that patients can receive the blood thinning medication best for them.
If you are seeking medical attention for heart disease, stroke, or blood clotting, it’s worth speaking to your physician about this new genetic testing. Many people go through years of medication changes until they find the ones that work for them the best but now you can find out much sooner and prevent any complications.
The Future Need for Warfarin
If you are not seeking medical attention for these issues, but worry about suffering from them in the future because of family genealogy history, you may want to ask your doctor about genetic testing to see if you have the genetic marker. It won’t tell you if you will definitely suffer from heart disease, stroke or blood clots but it will give you a warning by telling you if you are susceptible to something.
Deciding to have genetic testing on your baby can be difficult. You want to know if your baby is susceptible to a disorder, but you don’t want to put your baby under unnecessary stress. Before taking your baby in for genetic testing, consider the following:
Does a genetic disorder run in your family or your husband’s?
If someone in your family has a genetic disorder (meaning that it is passed down through generations), there is a chance your baby may have the genetic marker for the disorder.
Is it a disorder that will greatly impact your baby’s health?
Some disorders can cause developmental delays or influence a baby’s health. Consider how detrimental the disorder can be to your baby and his/her life.
Does the disorder seem to appear early or later on in life?
If the disorder has a late onset such as the teen years, you may want to wait until your child is a bit older and understands what genetic testing can do to protect him/her. However, if the disorder seems to have an early onset, you may want to take precautions and get the genetic testing done as soon as possible.
Is there anything you can do to prevent the disorder?
If there is no way to prevent the disorder, you be reluctant to get the genetic testing because you don’t see the point. While this may be true, it’s good to research the signs of the disorder so you can watch for them in your baby if you do decide not to get the genetic testing done. However, if you do get the genetic testing and the results come back negative for the disorder, you can breathe a sigh of relief and not have to worry about looking for the signs.
Consult Your Doctor
If you are still unsure if you should get genetic testing done on your baby, consult your doctor. Disclose all information you have about the genetic disorder so that doctor can make an informed recommendation. Together with your doctor, you can take steps to safeguard your baby’s future.
All parents want their babies to be healthy. It’s one of the most common worries women have during their pregnancy. This worry is exacerbated when a mom-to-be or dad-to-be knows of a genetic disorder that runs in the family. If this is something you are anxious about, you may wonder if your baby has inherited it and wish you knew so you could be prepared.
The good news is that with genetic testing you can find out if your baby has the genetic marker for the disorder. This genetic marker means that your baby is susceptible to it. It does NOT mean that your baby will absolutely end up with the disorder. How does this help you?
The Advantages of Genetic Testing for Your Newborn
One of the main advantages of genetic testing is that it gives you a warning. If your baby has the genetic marker for a disorder, you can be proactive with his/her health. You can ensure that your baby gets the medical attention he/she needs and the monitoring that is needed to detect if the disorder is present.
Catching the disorder or disease in its earliest stages will help your baby get the medical attention he/she needs to treat it. Early treatment will decrease risk of permanent damage or developmental delays. It can also slow down the progression of some diseases so that your child has the best chance at life.
Seek Consultation from a Counselor or Doctor
While genetic testing cannot detect all disorders, it does identify a great percentage of them. If you are unsure if genetic testing will show the particular disorder that runs through your family, ask your obstetrician or genetic counselor. These professionals are trained in genetic testing and can give you the information you need.
Genetic testing can be frightening but so helpful for the care of your baby. Don’t be afraid of the information, take steps to protect your baby.
Fans of the many popular police forensics TV shows know the lingo and the usual procedures. CODIS is the criminal database that gets searched for DNA matches when crime scene evidence is tested. (Of course, in a TV world, there’s almost always a match!) And crime labs use matching DNA to place the suspect at the scene of the crime. Prosecutors get a quick conviction before the prime time hour runs out. That’s standard operating procedure for script writers.
Hold your horses right there, forensics fans. A July 20, 2008 article in the LA Times (The verdict is out by Maura Dolan and Jason Felch) reveals that DNA testing isn’t quite a sure thing. We’ve long assumed that only identical twins can have matching DNA profiles, but an Arizona crime lab analyst, Kathryn Troyer, has come up with matches that defy the odds. The most dramatic is a match between two felons, one white and the other black.
What happens is that analysts typically search for matches on a limited number of chromosomes sometimes just nine or ten or, more recently, 13. Kroyer found matches for 13 chromosomes. Other scientists noticed that they had 13-chromosome matches too. They found 122 matches in a database of 65,000 felons.
The point is that DNA-based evidence may not be as airtight as those one in 108 trillion odds that have been claimed in the past by prosecutors or their expert witnesses. The LA Times article reveals that the raging debate isn’t so much about the use of evidence to incarcerate or sentence defendants but the ethics of using CODIS to find matches and blow up our old assumptions.
What do you think? Is it okay to invade the privacy of CODIS tenants who are convicted felons in order to establish that DNA evidence may be shakier than the justice system has allowed us to believe?
In a recent article on Medical News, a woman in Dallas gave birth to twins who have different biological fathers. The woman admits that she had an affair around the time she conceived the twins. What happened was that she released two eggs during ovulation and since she slept with both men, the sperm from each of them made it to both eggs. One man’s sperm fertilized one egg and the other man’s sperm fertilized the other. This is actually a common phenomenon in animals that have multiple sex partners and is called heteropaternal superfecundation.
A recent article, 
If you have a family history of heart attack, stroke or blood clots, warfarin may be able to help you or other family members at risk. Warfarin is an anticoagulant. It helps reduce blood clots by blocking the factors that contribute to blood clotting. The issue with warfarin medication such as Coumadin and Jantoven is that the exact dosage is essential to its effectiveness as well as the health of the person. Taking too much of the medication could result in internal bleeding while not taking enough may not protect against blood clots.
Deciding to have 
All parents want their babies to be healthy. It’s one of the most common worries women have during their pregnancy. This worry is exacerbated when a mom-to-be or dad-to-be knows of a genetic disorder that runs in the family. If this is something you are anxious about, you may wonder if your baby has inherited it and wish you knew so you could be prepared.
Fans of the many popular police forensics TV shows know the lingo and the usual procedures. CODIS is the criminal database that gets searched for DNA matches when crime scene evidence is tested. (Of course, in a TV world, there’s almost always a match!) And crime labs use matching DNA to place the suspect at the scene of the crime. Prosecutors get a quick conviction before the prime time hour runs out. That’s standard operating procedure for script writers.
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