Should Humans Be Allowed To Design Their Babies Essay

Dan W. Brock makes a few interesting points in defending genetic engineering, while being observant of the possible downfalls and negative views of the science. Brock starts of his commentary by addressing how the limits to our genes can not "confidently predict the rate at which that understanding [of genetic engineering] will be achieved in the future nor the ultimate limits on it" (pg. 615). Also, the author states how genetic engineering could help parents ensure their children the abilities to live healthy lives, create new treatments for disease, and produce stronger immune systems.

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Should parent be allowed to genetically engineer their children? : The ethical dilemma of designer babies.

The altering of human genes could save lives. You could cure cystic fibrosis or alzheimer's. This would save the lives of many (Doc. 3). This technology could also give you children with specific traits of your choice. Also, this engineering can leave people painfree. This is not good because they can’t detect danger. As a plus side, scientists will eventually take the gene that causes this and help cure those with chronic long lasting pains (Doc. 2). This would make more people happy and healthy across the nation! Eventually we could go so far as to make a genetically engineered nation. As you can see, Genetic Engineering also could have a positive effect on

Among the few benefits are humans that have limited diseases, families that have children that they can raise into adulthood that never would have had this opportunity before, and options that have never existed before. The process is dangerous in the sense that it can quickly get out of hand. Putting limits on designer babies is the key. Humans are only humans, not perfect beings. The thought of trying to create a perfect human sounds very ridiculous. No matter how many operations and procedures one baby is given, they can only be a human. Limits and regulations should be applied to genetic mutations to end the possibility of getting out of hand. A baby should not be able to have every part of them changed, what good would this do for the parents or for the baby? A baby is only a baby, no matter what. A baby will have no choice in the way they are mutated. The process, as advancing as it may be, may lead to many issues in the future. This means that we must be wary in the proceeding

The medical advances being made feasible by genetic testing are very exciting. It is possible for people with predispositions for genetic defects to know in advance if they will have a healthy child or not. If they find out there is a problem they can choose to terminate the pregnancy or they can prepare in advance for their child's special needs. There is even new technology called Ex Utero genetic testing. This test is performed on eggs fertilized through in vitro fertilization before they are even put in the mother's uterus. Understanding genes in the developing human will help doctors understand the nature of genetic diseases and may lead to countless other medical breakthroughs. Though it is probably a long way off doctors may one day be able to manipulate genes. If this is possible some genetic problems may be cured.

Science is now able to better improve human health and safety thanks to the advanced modern technology and medicine that are available. Yet with today's technology being implemented into science comes the questions of human morality, or bioethics. One of the bioethics debates is on the coined term “Designer babies”; on if or where society should draw the line on genetically altering our children before they are born. With the technology able to stop hereditary diseases, the scientific development’s are able to change the child’s “eye color, hair color, social intelligence, right down to whether or not your child would have a widow’s peak” before the child is born. From the options on choosing whether or not your child will look or act a certain

The benefit of genetic science for individuals is that it can determine if the person has a possible genetic disorder and give them

Although human life has already increased by a lot of our modern day technology and medicine. With genetically engineered humans It could make time on earth longer. There are specific disease that could develop over time that can take your life sooner. With a genetically engineered child, you can already take out the disease before they are even born. It could also help with adaptation to climate change. With the ice caps melting and it's becoming warmer every day, we need to adapt to the changes, normally it takes over 1000 of years but with genetic modification it could be instant.

Although this may be the case in many areas of people’s lives today, it is not always beneficial, or necessary. People may have trouble deciding whether messing with human genes and cells is ethical. Designing the “perfect child” in many parent’s eyes becomes a harsh question of reality. The concept of a parent’s unconditional love for their child is questioned because of the desire to make their child perfect. If genetically engineering humans becomes a dominant medical option, people could have the chance to create their child however they like: from physical appearances, genetically enhanced genes, and the possibility to decide what a child thinks and acts, parents have access to designing their entire child. Naturally, people could be creating a super-human. Issues between different races, and eventually creating new prejudices against genetically engineered humans may increase. People may not realize how expensive genetic screening is at first. With only the rich being able to “enhance” their children, another social issue might occur, giving the world another type of people to outcast.

Genetic mutations either directly cause a disease such as Cystic fibrosis, or they contribute to it greatly for example Alzheimer's and the heart disease Cardiomyopathy. Genetic mutations can make our bodies more susceptible to attack from viruses or our own immune system. If genetic modification of human embryos does occur in the future these such diseases could and most probably will be made extinct. Another appealing benefit for genetic modification of human embryos is the fact that it can extend peoples life span. The genetic modification of human embryos will increase life span because people will not pass away from genetic mutations. It will also increase life span because we will be able to modify the different genetics of ageing.

Many scientists and others believe that if gene therapy can be refined, it could be implemented to ultimately put an end to genetic disorders. The parents would have the children they want, and the children who had the natural disposition towards a genetic disorder could possibly become a normal child, whereas otherwise they would probably end up losing their life due to abortion. Those that support gene therapy view it as a win-win strategy:

The genetic engineering of offspring has many benefits to it, benefits such as a cure for ailments and terminal diseases. If a scientist were able to genetically modify genes, perfecting each gene to function as it should then the cure to cancer would not be so far from grasps. Cancer could be made a thing of the past, with every newborn being genetically modified cancer could be prevented way before it starts takes its hold on a victim. If genes were to be composed then every homo sapien would be secured from diseases, the likely hood of being ill would be rare. According to the NLCATP, genetic engineering could forestall babies from being born with diseases such as muscular dystrophy, Epilepsy, heart problems and mental retardation.

Designer babies are embryos that have genetically modified chosen by parents or science. “The perfect child” so to say. They pick their desired traits for the child so they can have the child they’ve always wanted. In this process they first screen the embryo to see if there are any genetic defects that were conceived through fertilization. There is nothing new about the designer babies 1989 and born in 1990. This is not new technology. You can change anything from gender, appearance, intelligence, disease, and personality. A few of the pros could be things like reduce risk of genetic diseases, reduces risk of inherited medical conditions, better chance the child will succeed with life, increased life span, and can give child genes that that the parents do not carry. Those are just a few. Designer babies can be used for even spare parts such as, hearts, liver, kidney, etc. That is not right in my opinion. They can be used for many things. Designer babies are believe it or not very expensive. With the creation of these babies there had to be the first designer baby made. The first designer baby was created in the U.S. in 2000. Doctors used screening techniques to test the embryos of Lisa and Jack Nash. They chose the embryos that would be an exact cell match to their daughter Molly. Their daughter, Molly, suffers from a genetic disorder called Fanconi Anemia which causes bone marrow