Is there such thing as a 'flawless' baby?

     Could your vision of the ideal baby finally become a reality? Would you consider to eliminate the genes of undesirable traits and inherited diseases to produce a ‘perfect’ customized baby? To what degree is it fulfilling to know that there are innovative technologies making it possible to choose characteristics like picking an item from a catalogue?

     Over 3500 inherited diseases have been linked to faulty genes. Genetic diseases among Canadians include cystic fibrosis, diabetes, hemophilia, Huntington’s chorea, and sickle cell anemia. Advancements in scientific knowledge of the human genome highly influences the increase of the parental demand for designer babies. Reproductive technologies have been developed to enable doctors and parents to screen embryos notonly for certain disease-bearing genes, but also for characteristics such as eye colour, hair colour, and complexion. 


     Advanced reproductive techniques involves In-Vitro Fertilization, or IVF which is a procedure of fertilizing egg cells by sperm outside the mother’s body. This procedure is associated with a technique called pre-implantation genetics diagnosis (PGD) to examine embryos for defects before implantation in the womb. This technique allows us to modify genes by replacing faulty sections of DNA with healthy ones.

     On top of producing a healthy baby, the concept of enhancing and equipping babies with genes for good looks and intelligence can be very enticing. But ask yourself, should your morals or ethical limits apply to the selection of your children’s genes or characteristics? By 2020, it is expected that the demands of embryo screening will increase due to the discoveries of genetic variations that substantially raise the risk of common conditions. This could encourage controversy over the ethics of designer babies.


     In the decision-making process, it is critical to rule out what is important. Are you only choosing traits because you have a specific preference for a particular child or is it to avoid diseases or dysfunction? If it urges you to seek counselling, then by all means seek counselling. However, you should be under the impression that genetic modifications could potentially irreversibly alter human species.

          In my opinion, laws should restrict embryo screenings to prevent abuse of these advanced technologies, and must only undergo procedures under certain circumstances. I consider non-medical purposes of selecting embryos as unethical. We are not entitled to choose from a selection of traits. I view this situation from a different perspective, while in belief that we should just embrace the characteristics and traits that make up who we are.

References:
http://www.bionetonline.org/english/content/db_cont1.htm

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/03/03/earlyshow/health/main4840346.shtml

http://articles.cnn.com/2008-10-30/tech/designer.babies_1_genetic-screening-designer-babies-animal-embryos?_s=PM:TECH

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=regulate-designer-babies

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