The Great Designer Baby Controversy of '09
The public debate about selecting traits like eye and hair color for newborns is a continuation of a debate that has gone on for at least two decades – the debate about PGD-based gender selection, a technique that is easier than trait selection and has already been done thousands of times. Back in 1990, pre-implantation genetic diagnosis of any type was banned in Germany by the Embryo Protection Act. In 2003, the UK banned using PGD for gender selection, following a year-long public consultation in which about 80% of those polled were against the procedure. India and China have banned the procedure, despite the widespread practice of infanticide when babies of an undesired gender, usually female, are born to disappointed parents. Gender selection still occurs, albeit violently.
More recently, a January 2009 study by researchers at NYU Langone medical Center found that an overwhelming 75% of parents would be in favor of trait selection using PGD – as long as that trait is the absence of mental retardation. A further 54% would screen their embryos for deafness, 56% for blindness, 52% for a propensity to heart disease, and 51% for a propensity to cancer. Only 10% would be willing to select embryos for better athletic ability, and 12.6% would select for greater intelligence. 52.2% of respondents said that there were no conditions for which genetic testing should never be offered, indicating widespread support for PGD – as long as it’s for averting disease and not engineering human enhancement.
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More recently, a January 2009 study by researchers at NYU Langone medical Center found that an overwhelming 75% of parents would be in favor of trait selection using PGD – as long as that trait is the absence of mental retardation. A further 54% would screen their embryos for deafness, 56% for blindness, 52% for a propensity to heart disease, and 51% for a propensity to cancer. Only 10% would be willing to select embryos for better athletic ability, and 12.6% would select for greater intelligence. 52.2% of respondents said that there were no conditions for which genetic testing should never be offered, indicating widespread support for PGD – as long as it’s for averting disease and not engineering human enhancement.
Do you think parents should be able to "design" their babies?
Post your comment!
Read Full Article
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Daniel J Guinan on -
The wealthy elite of the world, who are not bound by the laws of host nations, will do this, anyway. The rest of us should ensure we have the rights to do the same, or we will find our great grandchildren born as ape-slaves in a very real version of the planet of the apes.
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Permalink Reply by Steve Engard on -
Biomedical nanotechnology & genetic enhancements will become a fact of modern life, just like access to the Internet. The decision to do so should remain the discretion of the patient/parent to be, and their primary care provider. Government should only be involved to insure that the procedures are safe and effective.
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