SCIENCE AND SOCIETY: Children and incompetent adults in genetic research: consent and safeguards.

Recent changes to the legal and ethical criteria that govern the inclusion of children and incompetent adults in genetic research are likely to lead to advances in research, but might leave the rights of the participants in this research in need of additional safeguards. Here, we discuss why this might be and propose policy considerations that could help to protect the rights of these particularly vulnerable groups of research participants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]