HEMLOCK, Mich. – A group of Michigan parents have filed a lawsuit alleging that the state didn't obtain proper consent to draw or store their newborns' blood for medical research.
MLive.com reports Saginaw County Attorney Philip Ellison filed the federal lawsuit on behalf of the parents, saying Michigan's practice of drawing infant blood is unconstitutional. The lawsuit also alleges that there aren't protections in place to stop police or others from accessing information that can be derived from the stored blood samples.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services says the blood of more than five million people is being stored for health research.
Ellison learned about the state's process when he became a father in September. He says the lawsuit isn't trying to stop newborn testing, but aims to return parents' right to decide.
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Information from: The Grand Rapids Press:MLive.com, http://www.mlive.com
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