The Ethics of Predicting Autism Spectrum Disorder in Infancy

Towards the end of a routine check-in appointment with your young patient —a 3 y/o boy recently diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD)—his mother shares concerns about his infant sister, currently 6 months old. The mother is aware that her daughter is at increased risk for ASD. She requests an MRI scan of her infant’s brain, based upon research she has read s howing that MRI can be used to predict which infants will go on to develop ASD. The mother communicates that she is eager to know whether her daughter is going to develop autism so that she and her husband can prepare financially, and so she can place her daughter on the long waitlist for autism-spe cific services in her local community.
Source: Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry - Category: Psychiatry Authors: Tags: Commentary Source Type: research