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The Pros And Cons Of Designer Babies

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There is a lot of controversy surrounding the world of gene manipulation. Whether the subject is cloning, genetic modified organisms, or even the use of antibiotics there will always be some type of ethical issue raised. One topic that has a lot of ethical issues surrounding it is designer babies. This research paper will explain what exactly a designer baby is, the pros, the cons, the reality, and the ethical issues surrounding genetic babies.
So, what exactly is a designer baby? In layman terms, a designer baby is an embryo that is genetically engineered to display certain wanted, or even delete unwanted genes from the genetic makeup of that baby ("Designer Babies"). This is done by in vitro fertilization (IVF), which is the manual …show more content…

Parents of a child who has one of these lives altering diseases, commonly states phrases like, “if I could take this disease away I would in an instant”. That phrase is now a reality with the fact genetic engineers are capable of ridding embryotic DNA of the option to even code for possible diseases.
Along with having many pros, there are also cons to designer babies. One being the fact this is still a relatively new procedure done. There is still a lot to be learned about the human genome, let alone how to manipulate it. This being said, it is not really known how these designer babies will affect future gene pools. “Current techniques of genetic modification introduce genes at random places in the genome, which could disrupt the function of another gene crucial for survival” (Designer Babies). In a sense, this could create the butterfly effect; one small action, or change in the coding of a gene, could lead to other unwanted changes that may be worse than the original unwanted gene. Designer babies are not common either. It is very expensive, and more people cannot afford it. IVF alone cost around $15,000, and insurance rarely covers it. PGD costs an estimated $4,000 for every time the procedure is done. A couple who had two boys and multiple miscarriages desperately wanted their third child to be a girl. They spend $100,000 to guarantee the sex of their third child would be female (Ridley, Jane). This whole process could cost hundreds of

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