Shaw M W
Am J Law Med. 1977 Fall;3(3):333-40.
Despite modern medical advances, births of genetically defective children still occur. The author outlines the problem of genetic disease, and describes the medical and legal advances that now make possible a reduction in its incidence. Then she cites--and briefly comments upon--some court cases brought by parents of genetically defective children against their physicians for allegedly failing to predict or to diagnose genetic defects in those children in time for the parents to exercise any procreative options such as sterilization, contraception, or abortion. In addition, the author speculates on various questions that may arise in future litigation in this area--among them, the question of whether or not courts someday will endow genetically defective children with a cause of action against their parents for bringing them into the world.
尽管现代医学取得了进步，但基因缺陷儿童的出生仍时有发生。作者概述了遗传疾病问题，并描述了如今有可能降低其发病率的医学和法律进展。接着，她列举并简要评论了一些基因缺陷儿童的父母针对医生提起的诉讼案件，这些父母指控医生未能及时预测或诊断出孩子的基因缺陷，致使他们无法采取诸如绝育、避孕或堕胎等生育选择。此外，作者还对该领域未来诉讼中可能出现的各种问题进行了推测——其中包括法院是否有朝一日会赋予基因缺陷儿童起诉其父母将他们带到这个世界上来的诉因这一问题。
