Recently National DNA Day was celebrated on April 25 and it commemorates the successful completion of the Human Genome Project in 2003 and the discovery of DNA’s double helix by James Watson and Francis Crick in 1953. The Human Genome Project was started in 1990 and was a 13 year effort coordinated by the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Institutes of Health to identify all the genes in human DNA, as well as determine the sequences of the 3 billion chemical base pairs that make up human DNA. This is also the day where teachers, students and the public can learn more information about genomic research specific to their own lives.
Franki Cunningham, Director of Family Health at the Rock Island County Health Department is leading a campaign that will bring genetic awareness as well as information on how to minimize the effects of certain diseases to increase the quality of life. “From a public health perspective, there are many diseases that can be prevented from genetic testing,” said Franki Cunningham. “Some diseases are more prevalent in certain populations.”
Pre-natal testing has been an important part of pregnancy. Genetic research only furthers the study of the unborn baby in utero. It would be hard to find a set of parents that wouldn’t want to their baby to be as healthy as possible. There are some procedures that can be conducted before birth. What genetic testing does is relay the information faster to the parents so that if there is an issue, a specialist can be present at birth to start a treatment immediately. After the baby is born more genetic screening is performed. This time blood is obtained from the baby’s heel and sent to the state’s lab and screened for certain diseases and defects. Newborn hearing screening is also performed before the baby is discharged. These diseases, if not treated, can result in abnormal growth and development.
Genetic research doesn’t have to be so serious. “It’s always fun to see what celebrity you may be related to, but isn’t it more important to find out what diseases are common in your family?”, said Franki. At, www.familyhistory.hhs.gov, you can log on and type in your family’s medical history so you are aware of what has been a trend in your family. “By completing your family tree, you may be able to avoid passing down certain diseases to your child.”
As the country goes green trying to help Mother Nature, wouldn’t it also make sense that we be aware of our families’ genetic history. The more information we obtain will only help those who come after us and keep our family trees growing strong and healthy. For more information on Genetics, please visit www.richd.org and go to the Genetics prompt.
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