Should Babies Have Their Genomes Sequenced?

The BabySeq project in Boston has begun collecting data to quantify the risks and benefits of DNA sequencing at birth.

For 51 years, newborn babies have gotten a heel-prick test in which their blood is screened for dozens of congenital disorders. Routine newborn screening has basically eliminated the risk of death or irreversible brain damage that some of these disorders can pose if they are not identified right away.