formed on an embryo to see if it also carries a genetic abnormality. PGD testing allows one to see if the child could possibly have diseases which are frequently followed by the difficult decision of keeping the child or eliminating the embryo if they feel that the results are unfavourable. As of right now, one can select from a list of over 4,000 items that are genetic disorders, and screen the embryos for any kind of genetic disease and even select a gender for their child to have. They look at the actual chromosomes which are responsible for causing those diseases. As desirable as it sounds, this whole process is very controversial. Currently, 35 countries have banned PGD because they believe that they should let the medical community interfere in the genetic processes. So do they have a point? Or are they completely wrong?
Well let’s look at the positive aspects of this whole situation. Couples that come in to such a clinic may currently have a child with a disease, or they have a family history of a disease, and they're concerned about passing that on to the next generation. I would certainly go through with this process if I knew I could prevent my child from a lifetime of ridicule, inequality, and disappointment. You go to countries and you'll see babies with easily preventable genetic disorders- the same countries that have basically have banned PGD. But many argue that this is simply unnatural. It is wrong to select the traits of your children, no matter how well your intentions may be. Dr Leon Kass and the President’s Bioethics Council in the United States have argued:
“Human reproduction is a ‘gift’ and that any form of selection or manipulation turns the child into a ‘manufacture’ and thus impairs human flourishing.” (Kass, 1998, 2000, 2002; President’s Bioethics Council, 2002)
When one has a child, they should love them unconditionally, despite all of their flaws. PGD however, allows this to be impossible because one can just eliminate what they don’t like about this unborn child. The deselected embryos are even discarded! Think of all the lives that have been lost because of PGD. T
his loss of life is completely against my beliefs and I can assure you, more people feel the same as well. In addition, increasing the technology of PGD will lead us into a world in which children are valued more for their genotype than for their inherited characteristics. This will eventually create a world of designer children in which genetic engineering becomes regular. Why would anyone take a chance of having a diseased baby or a baby girl instead of their desired baby boy when they could go to a doctor like Dr. Steignburg and say: “Hey Doc, I don’t want my baby to have any diseases and I want them to have green eyes, brunette hair, a button nose, and it better be a girl. “ This my friends, can be very dangerous.
So do the countries that have banned PGD have a point? You be the judge.
Works Cited
Dayal, Molina B. "Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis: eMedicine Obstetrics and Gynecology." EMedicine - Medical Reference. 11 Nov. 2008. Web. 28 Nov. 2009.
O'Reily, Bill. "GENETIC ENGINEERING OF BABIES A POSSIBILITY? North America United States from AllBusiness.com." Business Resources, Advice and Forms for Large and Small Businesses. 2 Mar. 2009. Web. 28 Nov. 2009.
"What is PGD." Reproductive Genetics Institute: PGD Experts. Reproductive Genetics Insitute, 2009. Web. 28 Nov. 2009.
Hey Camille! :)
ReplyDeleteI thought your post was well-thought out, and I really liked the pictures you used too, they're very eye catching! :)
Anyway, I totally agree with you completely when you said : "This loss of life is completely against my beliefs ". I always get so confused why people wouldn't appreciate their own baby as opposed to having it genetically altered. :( I also find it kind of scary to think that someday in the future, designer babies are how everyones going to create their babies, I mean, is normal not enough anymore? :(
Overall, I enjoyed reading your post, and learned some new things too! Keep doing what you're doing! :)
What's up Camille??? =D
ReplyDeleteSo I just read your blog. In my opinion, I thought that you really did your research and you wrote your blog really well. I like that picture of the baby where all the pieces come into place. I think that this is a good picture for your topic.
The only thing that has left me hanging is your opinion. It seems unclear to me if you are for or against designing a baby.
But there is one quote that really caught my attention. I like the part when you said the loss of life is completely against your beliefs. I am completely against the loss of life as well.
Basically, I enjoyed reading your blog and seeing what others' opinions are. It helps eliminate the bias and open the minds of others. Keep it up!!! =D
Hey Camille!
ReplyDeleteYour post had a lot of information and was very interesting to read. I agree with the above posts on the topic of loss of life. It is definitely against by beliefs too. I read an article that compared designer babies with abortion and it stated that women have the right to control their own bodies so they should be able to make the choice of designer babies or not. Well women do have the right to control their own bodies, but not to the point where it harms and even kills another person, especially their child!
If reality ever becomes ordering babies then our world will be an unfriendly mob of look-alikes!
I really liked your post, good work :).
Laura
Hey Camille, good job with your blog!
ReplyDeleteFirst off, I have to say your blog caught my attention right away with your opening sentence. It was also very informative, but still easy to follow.
When I was reading about the screening of embryos for defects, I never thought about the fact that the embryos were then discarded! I'm glad you pointed that out. I think it's really terrible that parents may be choosing certain embryos only for the good physical characteristis they possess.
I really hope the world doesn't become full of genetically engineered people one day!
Hey Camille Tanciocooooo! ;]
ReplyDeleteYour blog was very interesting from the beginning to the end. The introduction caught my attention because it was as if you we're talking to the reader. It was very descriptive and allowed the readers to be able to relate on what you were pointing out.
I also agree with preventing PGD to keep going, because many lives can be destroyed when embyros are discarded and people will become manufactured.
GOOD JOB, I enjoyed your post, just saying ;D
Hi Camille!
ReplyDeleteI really liked your blog, it caught my attention, was really fun to read and at the same time was very informative. I am also very against the termination of embryos, that would be a lot of lives lost just so your child would possess more desirable traits. I agree that parents should love their children for who they are rather than what they look like. If I were a designer baby who had just discovered that my parents selected my genes for me, I'd question if they'd love me if I looked a differently. When it came to the medical aspect of designer babies, you said that you would go through with this process if it meant preventing your child from a lifetime of ridicule, inequality and disappointment. But how would we know that someone born without a disease would live a more successful, productive and better life versus one who was born with a disease? There are so many people that overcome their diseases and become motivation for other people. I think if we were to eliminate flaws such as illness, we would have nothing to strive for anymore.
I really enjoyed reading your blog, good job Camille! :D
Hello Camille! You're blog interested me. It's true why do people design their own babies? I disagree with the diseases because some people just can't afford to have a child with such diseases that create mental instability. They want a child to have a normal life and I respect that. I disagree that it is dangerous, but I do agree that it is pretentious, they didn't even give a normal baby a chance, and now they want a better one? How is it fair? I want my mom love to me the way I am, not want me to have blue eyes instead of green, or long hair instead of short and curly.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading it, but I do agree a lot, we need to overcome diseases, not hide from them, or else it isn't fair for the people who already have the diseases to begin with, reading your blog was insightful and I hope to see more this bio year!
ohai Camille.
ReplyDeleteWhile I agree with the fact that parents should love their child, and that it's true that the diseased embryo is simply discarded, there simply aren't some surefire cures for some diseases out there. What's going through a parents head isn't the genotype or anything like that, but the well being of their child. If they can avoid disease, I'm sure it would be less stressful and hurtful for them.
However, I believe a line should be drawn between avoiding disease and selecting traits that you would want. I think that we should be able to have the choice to have a child disease free, but it should stop there. Being able to select traits could only go wrong as more possibilities open up in this field.