Chinese kids given DNA talent testing

Clinics say they can predict life prospects

• Thousands of young children and babies in China are undergoing genetic testing in an attempt to detect what talents they will develop later in life.

The t rend, f uelled by pushy parents or so- called “Tiger Mothers,” has resulted in a growing number of “health institutes” that claim to predict the life prospects of children as young as one. The companies charge the equivalent of hundreds of dollars to perform the tests, which involve taking saliva swabs that are sent for lab testing.

Two weeks later, parents are told whether their child is gifted in such areas as dancing, mathematics or painting. Parents are also given a profile of their child’s general level of intelligence, emotional understanding and concentration, and are told whether they will be introverted or extroverted.

When Fan Yimei’s 11-yearold son gave up on his chess lessons to focus on fencing instead, she knew there was no point trying to make him change his mind. Months before, she had been told he would excel in sports, while studious pastimes were not in his DNA.

“My two baby boys were also tested, and I was told they’d be good at painting,” said Fan, who is from the eastern province of Zhejiang. “So I’m just going to focus on art lessons for them.”

Experts are skeptical of the scientific evidence to support such techniques, and ethical concerns have been raised.

Mike McNamee, professor of applied ethics at Swansea University, said talent spotting was a “gross oversimplif i cation and overblown belief in the power of genetic technology.” He added: “If parents want to know if their kid is going to be a great sprinter, go and watch them.”

I WAS TOLD (MY CHILDREN) WOULD BE GOOD AT PAINTING.