Posted on 09/15/2010 12:56:24 PM PDT by WOBBLY BOB
As a result of our request, more than 160 individual requests from parentshave been sent to the Minnesota Department of Health seeking information on how their child's newborn bloodspots (DNA) was used. That's a great start, but we need many more parents to act.
OUR GOAL - There are 73,000 children born every year in Minnesota. We want at least 3,650 parent requests sent to the health department. That's just 5% of the number of baby DNA specimens collected and retained in ONE year.
Child Health Profiles: We expect to find one or more of the nearly 59,000 children used for research without parent consent. We also expect to discover specifics on how health officials are using and linking child DNA and genetic data to other government databases in what are sometimes called government "Child Health Profiles." With your help, we can use your information to advance the baby DNA lawsuit and to enact parent consent laws for child health profiling.
ACTION ITEM: Help us gather the evidence. Use the letter below to make your request. (Four easy steps & Sample Letter below)
(Excerpt) Read more at cchconline.org ...
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1) Make sure you are qualified to send the email request. You must be a parent or guardian of a child born on or after July 1, 1997. All children born on or after July 1, 1997 have had their DNA warehoused at the MN Dept. of Health—and claimed as State government property.
2) Use our sample letter below or create your own. Send one email per child to: lynn.belgea@state.mn.us DO NOT FORWARD THIS EMAIL. Copy and paste it into a new email. Type or print all the information clearly. Please refrain from making additional comments or opinions about the action of MDH in the lawsuit. Lynn Belgea is MDH's data compliance officer and designated by the Commissioner to handle data requests.
3) Send a separate email to CCHC with the letter you sent to the Department so we can monitor the response to this critical project.
4) Once you receive a written response to your request, provide CCHC with the information you receive (including any comment about delays, lost records, denial of access, etc). Please KEEP A RECORD of EVERYTHING and then email or send it to CCHC.
MN Law Allows You to Request & Receive Data: Under the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act, you have the legal right to request and receive this data. See the MDH data practices document (note pages 5, 7 and 10 specifically) and the state administrative rules.
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Commissioner Sanne Magnan, M.D., Ph.D. Minnesota Department of Health Freeman Building 625 Robert Street North P.O. Box 64975 Saint Paul, MN 55164-0975
Dear Commissioner Magnan,
I am making a data practices request under the authority of the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act. I am requesting a comprehensive accounting of the data and blood spots of my child that were collected through the Minnesota newborn screening program. Specifically, I am requesting a comprehensive accounting of the collection, storage, use and dissemination of my child's newborn blood spots, my child's newborn screening laboratory test results, and any information (including parent information) associated with my child's newborn blood spots and my child's newborn screening test results.
Such accounting must include, but is not limited to, internal uses by the Minnesota Department of Health, all Department contracts and/or data sharing agreements which include the sharing and/or use of my child's blood spots and data with government or outside entities, all internal and/or external research, public health studies, newborn studies, other studies, other testing, test development using my child's blood spots and/or data, all linkages to my child's data and blood spots within and outside the Minnesota Department of Health, storage of the data and/or blood spots in databases or repositories in and outside the Minnesota Department of Health, all research findings in which my child's data or blood spots were stored, used, and/or disseminated, and any other collection, storage, use and/or dissemination of my child's data or blood spots.
My child's complete name is ___________ My child's birth data is __________ My child was born at _____________ (institution) The mother's name at the time of the birth was _____________
Thank you for your assistance with my request. Please let me know when I can expect to receive this information.
Sincerely,
Parent Name (Print Full Name)_____________________________________________ Address________________________________________________________________ City, State, Zip___________________________________________________________ Phone Number__________________________________________ Email Address_______________________________________________________
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IMHO, an automatic DNA match between the baby, mother and (suspected) father should be required at every birth. There are a significant number of men, who are lied to, and are ‘tricked’ into raising a child that they did not father.
If a man decides to take on the role of ‘father’ to a child; this should be done with knowledge that he is, or is not, the biological father. This is one means of doing that.
“IMHO, an automatic DNA match between the baby, mother and (suspected) father should be required at every birth.”
I think that’s a better plan than the current one, where a woman can name any man in the world as the father on the birth certificate, and he is assumed to then be legally liable for support. Nowadays, men are guilty unless they can prove themselves innocent.
if they were ONLY matching DNA I would agree, however, the state of MN is using this for its own research and are claiming ‘RIGHTS’ to our childrens DNA. MN is claiming ownership of it. Its NOT THEIR’s. Could this info be used against a child for medical treatment in the future of obamalamadingdong care? Is this the basis for the death panels? who really knows, all I know is that I don’t want any part of it and want my childrens personal, private, biological information to remain their own, NOT THE STATE NOR FEDERAL GOVT>
Yeah, I don’t agree with the state keeping any DNA records. If anything is an invasion of privacy, it’s got to be that.
The sad part of it is, is that now certain agencies within the state are starting to ask employee’s to voluntarily provide their DNA, Others are starting to require it for employment or from future employee’s. I know of several law enforcement agencies that are starting to do this and I won’t apply to them because of it.
Absolutely agree. The state has no ‘right’ to claim DNA in any manner, shape or form.
One of Crighton’s last books “Next” dealt with the legal issues of who ‘owns’ DNA, and what can happen.
This is a brand new world, and will likely have an impact far greater than the Atom bomb ever had.
Gattaca, here we come!
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