Designer Babies.
Designer Babies
The phrase “designer babies” spark images of a science fiction world, something far from reality. However, “designer babies” or embryo editing have existed for many years; it is a form of genetic intervention in a pre-implanted embryo. Existing examples of embryo editing are procedures like IVF (In vitro fertilization) and PGD (preimplantation genetic diagnosis) that allow for couples to pre-select embryos in order to prevent diseases. However, cases of “designer babies” have caused bioethical concerns. In order to take in to account both sides of the debate, we must discuss three of the leading questions: (1) Is genetic modification striving for perfectionism? (2) Will genetic enhancements cause genetic inequalities? (3) What are the ethical regulations for genetic engineering?
Advances in embryo engineering are pushing the boundaries of science, received with both hope and disturbance. On one hand, we have the ability to prevent genetic diseases, but our search for perfect health is leading us to manipulate life. Ultimately, is the goal of science to mold the most efficient body? And if so, is it wrong to strive for perfection? Those who oppose genetic editing believe that we are custom making a perfect body, defying nature, triggering the debate of nature vs. human. Our association with what’s “natural” is based on accidents of nature. Nature give us an individual genome that makes us unique. So, when we intervene and modify this, it becomes “unnatural” and therefore unethical. The embryo is not seen as a product of nature, but rather a human manipulation. However, other forms of “unnatural” modifications are regulated and consumed by the general public, like medical treatments or plastic surgery (The Embryo Project Encyclopedia 1). So, is embryotic editing a phase of our evolution? As humans we cannot detach ourselves from nature because our drive to survive is part of our evolutionary biology. In recent years scientists have been able to erase heritable heart diseases in embryos, leading us to our ultimate goal of a disease-free body (Marsha & Master 1). Therefore, perfectionism in a medical sense should be permitted, it would be more unethical to allow for an offspring to be born with a disease if the technology grants us the ability to prevent it.
Who will have accessibility to genetic enhancements? Will this unleash an era of genetic inequalities? Modern forms of human modifications are available to only those who can afford it. Therefore, any future genetic enhancements inevitable fall under capitalism, a division between enhanced and unenhanced. Health inequalities between different social groups exist as it is, therefore, this will be another medical practice that will widen the health gap. As of now, the total cost of an IVF cycle is around $23,000 (that’s not including the PGD), which shows the privileged position one must be to access this. If we reach a point at which we can edit desirable traits, the wealthy will further alienate those of lower socioeconomic standing. Not only will there be a division between social classes, but this practice can enable discriminatory and sexist decisions. Thus far, we have had the ability to pre-select the sex of a child for non-medical purposes. This procedure allows for a particular sex to be viewed as superior (The Embryo Project Encyclopedia 1). One of the first controversial cases was the Collins family in 1996, that had the desire of having a girl and pre-selected a female embryo. By predetermining specific genes, the parents impose on the child what is desirable. Therefore, it’s not only damaging for our society, but also the individual that has to live with the pre-selected choices. Therefore, to avoid these social repercussions, genetic selection should be used as a means to cure or eliminate genetic diseases, not to enhance benign traits.
If genetic editing is available for couples who want to select healthy offspring, then that prompts the question of what constitutes as healthy? If we can define, what is healthy, can we properly regulate the medical uses of GE?