By Kirell Lakhman

A statement released today by the March of Dimes slamming direct-to-consumer genetic testing companies could nudge individuals into the arms of clinical labs.

In the statement, the nonprofit, which was created to prevent birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality, blasted DTC genetic-testing shops for marketing tests and services that "really can't deliver … with any degree of certainty."

"Buyer beware! [DTC] tests are marketed to new and expecting parents and take advantage of their dream of having the perfect baby," March of Dimes President Jennifer says in the statement. "Consumers should be extremely cautious before spending the money — and risking their privacy — on such tests.

"Genetics is an exciting new frontier, but the current marketing of these tests raises ethical and medical questions," she adds.

The group intimates that individuals should eschew DTC genetic-testing vendors and instead seek tests "conducted by a trained professional," whom it claims "can provide information about the health risks a woman may face over her lifetime … or if she is the carrier of certain genetic diseases that can be passed on to a child.

"Working with a health care provider to order and interpret such genetic testing can provide much-needed guidance during the process," the statement concludes.

In the statement, the March of Dimes says the products of DTC genetic-testing vendors are "unregulated … entertainment."

"Even if a [DTC] genetic test indicates a statistical predisposition toward a disease or characteristic, it is not a diagnostic test and cannot predict with certainty if the disease will develop," the statement says.