Pgd Can Increase A Couples Chance Of Conceiving Via Ivf

A Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) is a test that “allows future parents to detect genetic defects that cause inherited disease in human embryos before they are implanted.” One of the most ethical questions that one might ask before considering the PGD is whether the benefits of genetic knowledge outweigh harmful effects that occur to the embryo? Is it really worth manipulating embryos genes in order to achieve the desire of the parents? Often times we have to take into considerations the risk and benefits of each situation. I believe that the PGD test should be only be done to detect genetic defects, but it should not be used to manipulate genes in order to make what to them is a “perfect” child. As stated in our text, “ In the united Kingdom alteration of an embryos genes, even for gene therapy or cloning embryos is illegal.” By manipulating genes its like going against Gods wishes. In the eyes of God every person that comes into this world is equally seen as a human being because they are all created in “ the image of God.” In this case the parents should not be allowed to manipulate the genes of their unborn child just to accommodate to their

PGD is known as pre-implantation genetic diagnosing. I do not think it is ethical to design and conceive a child that meets specific genetic requirements. I do not feel that this is an ethical reason to conceive a child. Rather, I believe all children should be seen as blessings or gifts, not sacrificial genetic progeny.

For many people, the term “designer babies” sounds like something that could only exist in the novel, Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. But, science has now advanced to the point where faulty genes can now be singled out, discarded, and replaced with more favorable ones. Just like the 16,012 babies manufactured in the Hatchery and Conditioning Centre in Brave New World, human embryos can be selected for fertilization based on their genes. This is done through the processes of in vitro fertilization (IVF) and preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD). This involves removing mature egg cells from a woman and fertilizing it with male sperm outside of the body. The embryos are then analyzed for abnormalities and mutations in the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). The healthiest embryos are then implanted back into the woman’s uterus for regular gestation (Yount). The development of these techniques originated from the Human Genome Project initiated by the United States government in 1988 (Siegel-Itzkovich). Although established initially with the purpose of selecting healthy embryos free of disease, the same techniques can be applied to select genes that code for traits such as intelligence, strength, and beauty. IVF and PGD are useful techniques but should only be used for medical purposes, not for selecting the embryos of perfect children.

Therapeutic genetic manipulation is preformed by doctors to prevent diseases that the baby is carrying. The baby is tested by screening the embryo for any possible unknown diseases. Sometimes the PGD or preimplantation genetic diagnosis technique is used for this ("Biotechnology special focus"). The main diseases PGD is used to test for in babies are Hunntington's disease, Tay-sacks, Alzheimers, Familia cancers, Sickle Cell disease, Hemophilia, Neurofibromatosis, Fanconi's Anemia, Cystic fibrosis and most recently, Down's Syndrome ("Hooray for designer babies", 2002). This technique involves removing the unfertilized egg from the female, mating it with a sperm and then testing it for diseases. If all the diseases are absent, the fertilized egg is planted into the mother's uterus to develop into a baby. Some other unpredictable diseases may also be carried in the baby's chromosomes. Chromosome carrying diseases and disorders include: miscarriage of the baby, physical birth defects or down syndrome (Biotechnology special focus").

United States genetic centers now offer DNA tests for over 30 or 40 of the more commonly inherited disorders. Those including cystic fibrosis, susceptibility to breast cancer, X syndrome, Huntington’s disease, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, and many other various disorders (Golden). Also, with recent developments, couples are able to have a pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD). This procedure allows the testing of genetic disorders before germination. It consists of “petri-dish” testing of sperm and egg cells donated by the soon to be parents. This procedure prevents the idea of abortion, for if genetic problems occur, you are not destroying a fetus, but simple flushing away embryo cells.

Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) is a reproductive technology in which, embryos are genetically analysed, before either being implanted into the uterus or discarded. It is most commonly used to avoid genetic diseases. Many ethical issues have been raised due to the increasing use of this technology. Eugenics is the process of enhancing the gene pool, for the improvement of humanity. One objection to the use of PGD technology is that it is unethical as it will lead to negative outcomes associated with the past eugenic movement.

PGD is performed with IVF and followed by genetic screening for mutant gene. IVF stage, eggs are collected and fertilized by sperm in the laboratory to produce Zygotes. Then, these Zygotes carry on to growing in the laboratory for 3 days until reached eight cells stage. Biopsy of embryo is performed and extracted blastomere from each 6-8 cell stage embryo. Then, cell undergoes genetic screening for mutant gene. Un-carrier and unaffected embryos are transferred into mother’s uterus with confident no CF mutant gene for ensuring a quality of life for baby (Destouni, 2016).

Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis is a new way to test embryos for predisposed genetic diseases such as Huntington's disease or cystic fibrosis. Although Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis can be extremely expensive, it can eliminate genetic diseases and is a better alternative to amniocentesis. While preimplantation genetic diagnosis is around $50,000, lifelong medical care for a child with cystic fibrosis is over $300,000 and mental toll for you and your child. Preimplantation genetic diagnosis is a safe and effective way to implant embryos without genetic disorders and can make it possible for a child to live a healthy life. Hundreds of families each year use PGD to have a successful pregnancy and a healthy child. Amniocentesis is a test

Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (or PGD) is a testing procedure used when either parent has been diagnosed with a genetic abnormality. Testing is performed on the embryos to determine if they are carriers of the genetic abnormality before implantation.

and that pregnancy occurs. The chance of successful implantation after IVF and PGD decreases in women who are over 35, this is due to the egg being more mature and the body producing fewer eggs and a decrease in hormones which are needed in order to sustain the pregnancy. In some cases not enough eggs are produced or fertilised in the process of IVF which could lead to some embryos not surviving the PGD procedure. Another disadvantage which is rare but there is still a possibility of it happening is that all eggs collected for IVF all are tested as embryos and all are affected by an inherited genetic disorder or disease. This is a disadvantage because it means that after the whole process and cost of the IVF and PGD treatment it means that all embryos will possibly be discarded which would result in no pregnancy and would lead to a waste of money, the IVF procedures and the implications on the body. PGD is not entirely accurate and although it has a 96% success rate there can always be technical problems in the screening process and therefore PGD helps reduce the risk of conceiving a child with a genetic disorder however it can not completely eliminate the risk. PGD technology at the moment can not screen for the possibility of multiple abnormalities instead it can only screen for and identify the presence or absence of a specific genetic disorder.

In this day in age, where looks are almost everything when getting and going where you want, having a child with perfect genes is something to brag about. Allowing a parent to choose the perfect genes is not so far off in the future, in fact, it is now possible to pick some of the genes of a baby to make a “perfect” child. A procedure called pre-implantation genetic diagnosis, or PGD, has been used for years by doctors who wanted to reduce the chance of women carrying babies infected with life-threatening diseases. PGD was first used to improve the likelihood of a successful pregnancy for couples suffering with recurring miscarriages and parents who had the chance of passing on genetic diseases to their offspring. Dr. Jeffrey Steinberg, a

After the embryos are selected, PGD is used to find the perfect embryo that has not inherited the genetic disorder which is implanted in the uterus of the mother. Although it is an effective method of treatment, there are many issues currently raised about this technique. The biggest issue is the destruction of embryos that are not selected to be implanted because human embryos are the very first stage of human life and should deserve the same treatment as any other humans. Another huge issue is whether the child’s value in the family will be equal as the child was conceived for a specific reason instead of natural conception. Despite the persisting issues, there are pros and cons regarding the creation of savior siblings. The main pro is the ability to treat previously untreatable genetic disorders. On the contrary, the cons include instrumentalizing human beings, and the possibility of psychological issues in the household. Overall, the cons far outweigh the pros as it feeds the issue of instrumentalizing human beings and leads to psychological problems which can be directly prevented by prioritizing research of savior embryos

However, another issue with PGD is that it itself is quite expensive, it costs approximately $13,000. This means that the wealthy may be the only ones who are able to afford the screening. “If the likelihood of genetic disease in the wealthy decreases and other citizens do not have access to PGD, will genetic disease perhaps be associated only with the economically unprivileged?” This problem, however, is somewhat resolved in New Zealand as the government usually funds the first two cycles. In some countries, such as the United States, Mexico, Italy, and Thailand, it is legal to chose the gender of the embryo through PGD. This is a major ethical implication, and many countries have banned it, including New Zealand and Australia. If this is allowed, it shows the beginning of creating ‘designer babies’, as parents are able to chose the gender. It is thought that if this is allowed, then eventually parents will be able to choose other features, such as eye colour and hair colour. Also, if the gender is able to be chosen, then it could cause a gender imbalance. In some cultures and societies, one gender is

In the United States, an estimated 2.3 million couples are considered infertile [Wekesser, 1996]. This creates a large need for infertility specialists and clinics specializing in fertility treatments. With the quickly advancing field of rep roductive services and the quest for creating better, healthier babies, a new service called Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) is being offered in conjunction with In vitro fertilization.

For the physicians and healthcare organizations, they should have a policy for the use of Pre-implantation Genetic Disorder (PGD) for health related issues only. The stance of the ethics committee of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) regarding PGD for sex selection is acceptable if its use to prevent the transmission of serious sex-linked genetic disease (Aghajonova & Valdes, 2012). In addition, the ASRM’s believes that all families have a right to healthy children, and they can avail all accessible technologies to avoid a known genetic disorder (Aghajonova & Valdes, 2012). Furthermore, the ASRM committee considers the use of PGD for nonmedical sex selection