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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2019 Sep 22.
Published in final edited form as: Genet Med. 2019 Mar 21;21(10):2190–2198. doi: 10.1038/s41436-019-0483-4

Table 4.

A comparative analysis of rights-based and interest-based ethical frameworks when applied to decisions about predictive genetic testing of children for adult-onset conditions.

RIGHTS-BASED
FRAMEWORK		 INTEREST-BASED
FRAMEWORK
Focus Future adulthood Childhood/adolescence extending forward
Function Singling out one future-oriented autonomy interest for exceedingly strong protection until adulthood Weighing and balancing numerous competing interests comprising children’s present and future health and well-being
Flexibility Very low
(applied to all not-yet-autonomous minors at all stages, in all contexts, and irrespective of shifting evidence base)		 High
(developmentally-contoured, contextually-tailored, and responsive to shifting evidence base)