Should informed consent be required for routine newborn screening and for the storage of blood samples?

摘要

This expansion in genetic knowledge has led to the storing of dried blood taken for newborn screening to be used for later testing (DeLuca et al., 2013). Rationale for storage is promotion of health and better quality of life for individuals and families. Should informed consent be required for such storage? In my opinion, if the frame of public health promotion is used for newborn screening and no informed consent is needed then it would follow that no consent is needed for the blood storage. Nurses must become more familiar with the newborn screening tests, the use of the blood after the initial testing is done, and the long-term consequences of these actions in order to educate parents about this screening process. In addition, nurses need to conduct research studies to examine parent perceptions of screening and storage of blood in relationship to informed consent.