DNA Adoption Networking

With advances in computer technology and DNA				empowering.
science, it seemed likely that a way would be found				While these decoding sites provide the opportunity
for the far-flung children of China to find their birth				for DNA Adoption Networking, that seems to be a
families. That day seemed far off in the future.				by-product of their main function, which is to decode
However that day is here now, and it has arrived 20				your DNA. For the adoption world, services like this
years before I expected it. A new kind of internet				have extraordinary implications, including:
website provides the means for adopting parents of				(i) In the majority of adoptions in the world, there is
children adopted from China to discover if their child				little or no information about the birth father. This
has a sibling, half-sibling, cousin or other relative				includes domestic adoptions, as well as adoptions
adopted anywhere in the world. In addition, birth				from other parts of the world. Decoding your child's
parents in China will be able to search for their				DNA will provide you with significant information
biological child who has been adopted by a family				about the birth father and the birth mother. The
living somewhere in the world. While China adoptions				websites claim they allow you to look 20 or 40 years
are the largest example of what is now possible, it				into the future at significant DNA markers that will
applies to every adoption in the world today. I don't				affect your child's health (such as pre-disposition to
think it is an overstatement to say that this is the				certain diseases).
most startling development in the field of adoption				(ii) Once registered with some sites, you will be
information in the past 25 years.				automatically advised over the next 10, 20 or 30
There are two new kinds of sites in particular that				years, as medical science makes new discoveries and
seem useful to the adoption community. They are				advances.
interesting because both kinds are the first of a new				(iii) In some situations DNA decoding may become
genre of websites. The first are DNA social				available as part of pre-adoption medical and social
networking sites; the second are primarily				information about the child. Currently, parents receive
gene-decoding sites.				limited medical information, photographs, and
1. DNA Adoption Networking				sometimes a video. Perhaps in the future a DNA
DNA Adoption Networking is a part of a new internet				swab will become part of this pre-adoption
service the New York Times has called Zygotic Social				information package.
Networking. These networking services permit users				(iv) As countries become more selective about
to build a social network around shared genetic				whom may adopt their children (such as China) will
material. Similar to Facebook, users are able to post				they want DNA tests of the adopting parents?
photos, update their profiles, blog, and send				Adopting Parents already have to supply medical and
messages to each other. More importantly, for				lab reports as part of a dossier for international
adoptive families they facilitate searches for relatives				adoption. Are DNA reports next?
and allow members to compare genetic makeup.				These websites will bring great opportunities, but also
Basically, you sign up with the service, do a cheek				great quandaries. We will no longer have the problem
swab, send it in, and a portion of your genetic				of not knowing, but instead have the burden of
makeup gets compared to others on the data bank.				whether we want to know in the first place. We will
You or someone else (somewhere in the world) can				know whether our children are predisposed to certain
then click on a map that shows a marker for every				traits or talents, athletics, music or languages, and
other member around the world who shares genetic				we'll encourage them to pursue certain paths. I have
markers found in your DNA profile.				recently described these websites to clients, friends
Perhaps even more amazing is that the creators of				and relatives. It is interesting how many people have
these sites believe that we are only at the beginning				said, "But do you really want to know this
of their abilities and usefulness. Experts believe that				information?". Clearly, some people would rather not
every new discovery in the field of genetics will				know and just let the future unfold.
provide the users with new information about their				Cautions
identities.				Be careful what you wish for. By going down this
Who Would Use This Service?				road, you may be opening a Pandora's Box. In short,
A broad spectrum of the adoption community will be				we are on the brink of scientific and technological
able to make use of these sites:				breakthroughs that are going to change adoption in a
(i) Biological parents who placed a child for adoption				way that has never happened before. Please
(or perhaps abandoned a child) can search for their				consider the following:
child worldwide with one registration.				1. Privacy: What is more personal than your DNA?
(ii) When adopted children become teenagers or				Each of these websites has a privacy statement.
young adults, they often want to find out more				Please read these before registering. It is important
about their roots. While they may not find their birth				to understand what privacy protection is offered and
parents immediately, they may locate other relatives.				whether you can set your own level of privacy on
In order to identify siblings, half-siblings, cousins or				the site. Also keep in mind that the world doesn't
grandparents, it will be necessary for one of their				always work perfectly. If you put information on the
biological parents to register on the site (At this time				internet, there is a chance of it getting loose by
you need a parent to also register in order to say				accident or otherwise.
definitively that two relatives are siblings). Those				2. Concerns: There are social, moral and ethical issues
relatives may turn up immediately or a decade or				involved in registering your or your child's DNA on a
two later as new relatives register on the site.				website. Before registering on any site prospective
(iii) Adopted Adults. Life is long, and at some point				applicants should read the China Adoption DNA
when adopted children have become adults, they				Project website where the site creators have
frequently want to look for their roots. While				considered the implications of parents taking the step
adoptive parents today usually explain to their				of trying to find biological relatives in this way. Please
children that they were adopted, that has not always				read and think about these issues before registering
been the case, nor is it universally true. As a result,				on a DNA Adoption Networking site: issues to think
individuals registering on these sites, who had no idea				about.
that they were adopted, may be in for a surprise.				3. Second Test: If you join one of these websites
(iv) Adoptive parents who want to find siblings, birth				and find a match that is important to you, please
parents, or other relatives of their adopted child can				confirm it with a second and more formal DNA test.
register their child. Parents registering children over 13				An article in the October Journal of Science warned
require the child's agreement to do this. In fact, it				that popular do-it-yourself DNA tests could produce
appears that inquisitive adopted teenagers could likely				incomplete results.
register themselves if they have access to $149.				4. Early Days: These websites have just started up.
(v) Adoption Agencies may want to include				It will take time for enough families to register
information about DNA Adoption Networking in their				worldwide for there to be many matches of close
adoption education programs. It's a reality check for				relatives. Keep your expectations low for now and
parents who state they want to adopt, but never				check in from time to time.
want anything to do with the birth family and that's				5. Men and Women: Men can get a lot more out of
why they want to adopt overseas. At some point				DNA testing than women because they inherit both
their child may register and find relatives in other				an x and y chromosome. For women to get the
countries.				same results, they need to supply a sample from a
Not everyone involved in adoption will want to				close male relative like a brother or father.
participate in this worldwide experiment in				6. Language: The scientific words and terminology
genealogical research. While most adopted children				used on these websites can be challenging. Some
want to know who their biological parents are, this is				sites have a glossary or definition section. That's a
not always true. However, for those who do want				good place to start in understanding this field of
to know where their child is, or who their biological				research.
parent is, these websites are already producing				Registering: A recent survey of adopting parents (by
results and matches. An ABC News video clip, which				the China Adoptions DNA Project) found that while
is accessed by a link on the home page, includes an				the adoption community is keenly interested in
interview with an adopted adult who only knew his				learning more about how a DNA database could
birth date and place, and subsequently found relatives				benefit their children and families, the overwhelming
in several parts of the world.				majority of parents currently do not know enough
Since DNA Adoption Networking will essentially				about it or are not comfortable enough with what
provide a worldwide adoption reunion registry, people				they do know to take the next step and join a
should think carefully before registering. While anyone				database. I encourage adoptive families to spend
can use one of these sites, special precautions need				time on the DNA websites listed at the end of this
to be taken when they are used by the adoption				article. Review their DNA science lessons, read the
community. Some individuals may wish to obtain				FAQ's and watch the videos. You will learn a lot.
counseling before registering. Adoption Reunion				Of course, if you're only registered on one site, it
Registries are located in most jurisdictions in North				reduces the possibility of matches. Perhaps all the
America and they frequently provide counseling to				members of the adoption triad in the world who
the parties both before and after a reunion.				want to share this information should register on only
What makes these sites so different from the sites				one of these sites , or on a site yet to be created
described next is that no genetic information is given				specifically for the adoption community. In the future
back to you (the participant).				there will undoubtedly be more of these kinds of
2. DNA Gene Decoding Sites				websites, and their usefulness will advance as science
The second type of service now on the web that				advances. If you do register with one of the
will impact adoptions is the ability to decode your				websites listed below, let us know about your
child's DNA. Adoptive families will find this site useful				experience with it. We will update this article as new
for many reasons. Your child's DNA is decoded,				information comes in. Contact Us.
providing you with much valuable information. The				Welcome to the Age of Genomics
experience is simultaneously unsettling, illuminating and				Adoption will never be quite the same!

Ncsap

DNA Adoption Networking