Pros and Cons of Designer Babies
Pros and Cons of Designer Babies
Designer babies are babies, whose genetic makeup has been artificially screened and chosen by scientists, via genetic engineering. This concept has raised numerous ethical issues. Let's have a look at the pros and cons of designer babies.
Did You Know?
The term 'designer baby' was actually coined by journalists and not scientists.
The term 'designer baby' made its entry into the Oxford English Dictionary in 2004, where it is defined as "a baby whose genetic makeup has been artificially selected by genetic engineering, combined with in vitro fertilization to ensure the presence or absence of particular genes or characteristics.”
What is a Designer Baby?
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. In vitro fertilization (IVF) technique 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 terminal illnesses.
A revolutionary technique called 'preimplantation process', when used in conjunction with tissue typing, is used to screen embryos for any genetic disease and only the disease-free embryos are implanted into the mother's womb. However, the technique is not limited to screening for genetic and hereditary disorders, but is also used for cosmetic reasons.
Dr. Jeff Steinberg, Director of the Los Angeles Fertility Institute, who played a major role in the world's first test tube baby in 1978, states that by using preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD), parents can choose the gender, eye, skin, and hair color of the baby. Various other physical traits such as intelligence, beauty, height, stopping a propensity towards obesity, freedom from mental illnesses, athletic ability, etc. can be also determined. He went on to say that
Designer babies are babies, whose genetic makeup has been artificially screened and chosen by scientists, via genetic engineering. This concept has raised numerous ethical issues. Let's have a look at the pros and cons of designer babies.
Did You Know?
The term 'designer baby' was actually coined by journalists and not scientists.
The term 'designer baby' made its entry into the Oxford English Dictionary in 2004, where it is defined as "a baby whose genetic makeup has been artificially selected by genetic engineering, combined with in vitro fertilization to ensure the presence or absence of particular genes or characteristics.”
What is a Designer Baby?
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. In vitro fertilization (IVF) technique 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 terminal illnesses.
A revolutionary technique called 'preimplantation process', when used in conjunction with tissue typing, is used to screen embryos for any genetic disease and only the disease-free embryos are implanted into the mother's womb. However, the technique is not limited to screening for genetic and hereditary disorders, but is also used for cosmetic reasons.
Dr. Jeff Steinberg, Director of the Los Angeles Fertility Institute, who played a major role in the world's first test tube baby in 1978, states that by using preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD), parents can choose the gender, eye, skin, and hair color of the baby. Various other physical traits such as intelligence, beauty, height, stopping a propensity towards obesity, freedom from mental illnesses, athletic ability, etc. can be also determined. He went on to say that