What conditions must be met for children’s participation in genetic research?
Research involving children is important because children are not merely small adults; they are both physiologically and psychologically different. Disease expression and reaction to treatments are influenced by children’s developmental stages, such that research performed on adults may lead to little or no known health benefit for children. Moreover, many diseases only affect children. With these diseases, children’s involvement in research is an absolute necessity for understanding disease pathophysiology and for the development of new treatments. However, because children are unable to consent to participate in research, specific conditions must apply to genetic research involving children. The four conditions that must be met are the following: • The research could not be carried out in an adult population; • The research has a direct benefit for the child or for the health of other children belonging to the same group (i.e.
