The Pros And Cons Of Genetic Controversy

Imagine a world where having a baby was like looking through a menu at some fancy restaurant. Imagine being able to choose how a baby will look and act. As mind-boggling as it sounds, scientists and researchers came across an unbelievable discovery: it is possible to design and edit a baby however a person may like. Hanson asserts that personality, gender, appearance, intelligence, hair color, and height can be changed using technology that was originally used for animals (Hanson). These babies are called designer babies. Phillip Ball, a science writer, claims that it is possible to change the genetic makeup of an unborn baby using bio-technology. However, these changes can have more negative effects than positive. Although most countries have not legislated the use of genetic modification, studies have been done on human embryos in China (Ball).

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.

A lot of controversial issues present themselves in psychology. Two topics that I will be discussing in this essay are the controversy over genetic testing and what things would be like without genetic testing. I will be describing what genetic testing is, and how it can affect an individual’s family life. I will be discussing the benefits of genetic counseling, as well as the positives without genetic counseling, and how this issue is debated in a psychological view.

Genetic testing has become a highly controversial issue among both the general population and the scientific community. It is a process that exposes a person’s entire genome sequence, allowing it to be read and evaluated to identify potential risks for genetic diseases or diseases that could be passed onto offspring (Holt Productions, 2012). With thousands of genetic tests already being used, and more being established, it seems logical to put this growing technology to use. Some agree that it is a person’s right to know and understand his or her genetic makeup. However, others argue that, despite the benefits of genetic testing, caution should be used to carefully inspect the risks associated with this new technology.

However, with the statements being made in the Shorthorn article there are strong arguments. One being the designer babies instead of finding out at birth. It ruins the purpose of a surprise for the parents. Also the lack of consent to the offspring is unsettling. With the process of gene alteration there is a risk of genetic mutation but, would be solved with CRISPR. The concept of designer babies strips originality of an individual. CRISPR is still in the beginning stages as well so there will be trial and error. If the wrong gene were to be deleted would the side effects be permanent or temporary?

Recent developments in genetic engineering has lead the idea of “designer babies” out of science fiction and into our reality. But, is is fair to risk the life of an unborn child for the selfish desires of the parents? This is what the “designer baby” dispute is all about. While health issues are often the major focal point in the debate, social and moral issues play roles as well. It is understandable that it may seem incredible to have the ability to choose the traits of a child before it is born, however for the use of non-medical purposes, the dangers greatly exceed any advantages imaginable.

There have been many cases of accidental modification of healthy genes in the body, which could suggest that genetic modifications to human DNA is far from safe. “What the paper really emphasizes is that we are far away from using genomic editing because it’s not safe. The idea of using this for designer babies is very far-fetched. The technology is too far off,” said Dusko Ilic, a stem cell researcher at King’s College, London (Sample, Ian, ed).

Labs around the world have constantly been trying to develop a method that can be used to cure genetic diseases. They see that the most likely way to achieve this lofty goal is by finding a way to genetically engineer the specific traits. However, many scientists are enamored by this new technology and fail to realize exactly how dangerous this method is. Several worldwide organizations have openly condemned the practice of genetically engineering designer babies in any setting except research. In their professional opinion, there are not enough regulations about what genes can be edited and in which scenarios creating designer babies is appropriate.

Although highly controversial, I find germline editing extremely interesting. Just the thought of removing a gene from an embryo is fascinating. In the article they used an enzyme called CRISPR/Cas9 as their scissors in order to cut out the faulty gene, which could’ve lead to heart failure. This genetic editing could potentially save thousands, perhaps millions of people from heart problems. When injected with the CRISPR/Cas9, a RNA strand to direct the cut, and an added piece of DNA to help repair the cell. During this process something interesting happened. The embryo rejected the added DNA and healed itself using the healthy copy of its mother’s DNA. This posed many questions for me. One of the major questions I had was, are designer babies possible? Can someone choose what features their child gets? By continuing my research into this topic I found out that although it would be extremely difficult there is a slight chance that designer babies are possible. Although this possibility is very small and would take

When it comes to the subject of designer babies, or even the thought of being able to create a 'perfect' child there is either controversy or pure relief. The reason being because when it comes to designing babies there is good as well as bad. For example some may say being able to genetically modify a baby so it has no chances of coming out deformed or even with mental or psychical diseases and disabilities is a miracle. Others may say that in the law of ethics this can not be acceptable. The fact the you're choosing your child's fate is ‘wrong’ stating that whether a child ends up with a disease is life, we should not be able to control it. Which makes sense yes, unless you're talking about two parents who can't have children because

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

Engineering designer babies who are perfectly healthy, intelligent, and athletic is just a glance at what the future may hold. This brings about controversy involving the ethics. Society would be dividing from genetically engineered people and natural people. The rich who can afford the treatment will be superior to those who cannot afford it. In society, people’s individuality will be stripped away. The child does not even have a choice in what happens to it. Engineering designer babies in the future may ruin the society people live in today.

Genetic alternation has been a hot topic in the scientific community and in society. The stance I would take on the ethics on embryo editing is that it is not morally wrong, depending on the person who uses it or the reasons they want to may make it seem morally wrong. Though genetically changing an embryo can allow a child who was born with diabetes or other life threatening diseases that does increase the chance of death. Something like that would make most people want to change a piece of their genetic code. Yet, there are some disabilities that some people do not want to change because they do not know how it will affect them. This can lead to a “what if” scenario where people think if they change would they become happier or sadder.

How does it sound to walk into the doctor’s office, choose what attributes you want your baby to have, and then having that exact baby 9 months later? Although this may seem quite harmless to most, the negative effects of designer babies are tremendous: the lack of diversity in our population, violation of a specific set of laws designed to protect humans, going against Christian views, and even destroying the roots of human nature. With genetic engineering biotechnology, such as Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (or CRISPR), new and unique altercations are being done to revolutionize many aspects of our lives. Along with astounding benefits that can come from these biotechnologies, many people have come up with crazy ideas, such as these designer baby ideas, that could be potentially harmful to our society.

As mentioned in the article: “China shocks world by genetically engineering human embryos” published by The Telegraph on Friday the 6th of October 2017 , it states how “critics warned that China was becoming the ‘Wild West’ of genetic research saying it was the first step towards designer children and called for a worldwide ban on the practice.” It further goes on to explain how “It is entirely unnecessary since there are already many ethical ways to avoid thalassaemia. This research is a classic example of scientific careerism - assuring one 's place in the history books even though the research is unnecessary and unethical." And that “It is critical that we avoid a eugenic future in which the rich can buy themselves a baby with built-in genetic advantages.”