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Praised is the Jewish physician who takes this task upon himself. #
QUESTIONS ABOUT
REVEALING HEREDITARY
77 DEFECTS
1 Question
The following is a list of ethical questions relating to modern genetics.
I would like to ask the Rav to send me halachic answers to the ques-
tions:
A) A physician diagnoses Down’s Syndrome of a genetic variety
(not due to the advanced age of the mother). This form of
the disorder is due to a balanced translocation of part of one
chromosome onto another. How should the physician relate
to the parents, who came to consult him for advice regarding
additional children? Several approaches exist:
1. Before the parents’ blood tests, the physician explains that
the tests are done to reveal whether one of them is a carrier
of the disorder. He asks if they want to know which of them
is the carrier, and if they both agree, he reveals his findings to
them.
2. The doctor tells them all the accurate scientific knowledge of
the disorder, whether or not they ask for it.
3. The doctor does not reveal the knowledge he has, even if
they ask for it.
4. The doctor tells them that they are both carriers of the gene.
5. The doctor reveals all he knows to the parents, as well as to
68 1 Medical-HalacHic Responsa of Rav ZilbeRstein
The Zohar praises (Vol. 3 #299,a) the Jewish physician who is also
concerned about his soul, and the soul of the patient.
There was a case of a sick woman who came to the hospital. The
physician inquired as to her medical history and she said that as a
child she underwent heart surgery. The physician recorded this in the
chart and when she left the hospital he wrote it in her discharge letter.
Through this, the husband learned of her illness, and it caused a fight
between them. If this detail is not essential to the continuation of
her treatment, it would be proper to omit it. A wise physician would
understand this.
1 SuMMaRy and Conclusions
1. The physician should probably not tell the husband about the 20818_efi-ab - 20818_park-C_efi-ab | 3 - B | 18-08-20 | 13:46:23 | SR:-- | Magenta
blemish in his wife. If he does so, he violates the prohibition of #20818_efi-ab - 20818_park-C_efi-ab | 3 - B | 18-08-20 | 13:46:23 | SR:-- | Yellow 20818_efi-ab - 20818_park-C_efi-ab | 3 - B | 18-08-20 | 13:46:23 | SR:--
slander.
2. One should probably try to avoid telling the husband the truth.
3. She should not conceal her blemish.
4. One is obligated to reveal the truth, and the physician should
try to convince the patient to do so herself.

Discharge Summary Contains Details which
may Upset Shalom Bayis
1 Question
A woman who concealed her diabetic condition from her husband
gave birth to a baby. In the hospital it was discovered that the baby
also has diabetes. The mother is begging them not to write this on the
Hereditary Vision Defects 2 65