More and more each day, the term ‘designer babies’ seems to cause controversy between many of scientists, parents, organizations and individuals around the world. A designer baby is a child whose genotype, physical characteristics and susceptibility to hereditary disease, is selected by its parents. Advances in genetics have given birth to this concept of 'designer baby', wherein parents and doctors are able to genetically screen embryos for any genetic disorders. A technique called ‘In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)’ involves the fertilization of the egg by the sperm in test tubes, outside the mother's body. This allows doctors to screen the embryos. Genetic screening has made it possible to eliminate genes associated with several genetic defects and illnesses. The picture and video below shows how genetic screening and vitro fertilization works:
With such great controversy on the topic, designer babies are sure to have its share of pros and cons. Because parents are able to genetically screen the baby before it is born, with “pre-implantation process,” they are able to detect the possibility of the baby being born with a disease and prevent this from happening. Still, other parents use the same process mentioned above, not only for health reasons but for cosmetic reasons. For varied prices, parents can choose the gender, eye, skin and hair color of the baby. Numerous other physical traits such as intelligence, beauty, height, stopping a propensity towards obesity, freedom from mental illnesses, athletic ability, etc. can be also determined.
This prompts the question: Is there a moral distinction between treating or preventing disease and enhancing traits? A further moral complication comes from the different approaches to treating disease and those who suffer from them. For example: genetically modifying an embryo to remove a gene linked with a higher than average risk of asthma, but it doesn't prevent the existence of the person who might have suffered from it.
Think about it. The concept of designer babies will lead to discrimination on the basis of certain qualities or traits. Kids of rich families will receive genetic enhancement leading to genetic 'aristocracy.' This gives them an unfair advantage over the other children. People unable to afford genetic screening will be looked down upon, causing a 'gap' in our society. Most parts of the world are still male dominated, and sex or gender determination of the baby can lead to gender discrimination across the world. Also, if the concept of 'designer babies' grows rapidly in the future, there is always the element of parents creating a designer baby for their own personal gain. Creating offspring this way only leads further and further away from the 'natural' births humans are able to give. For many of us around the world, it is time to realize that we, as humans can't control everything around the world.
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References:
"What's a Designer Baby?". Bionet. 2002. 12 Nov 2010.
Agar, Nicholas. "Designer Babies: Ethical Considerations." actionbio.org. 2006. 12 Nov 2010.
Johnson, Priya. "Pros and Cons of Designer Babies." Buzzle.com. 12 Nov 2010.
Steere, Mike. "Designer Babies: Creating the Perfect Child." CNN Tech. 30/10/2008. 12 Nov 2010.
Henderson, Mark. "Demand for 'designer babies' to grow dramatically." The Sunday Times. 07/01/2010. 12 Nov 2010.
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