Vitro And Pre Implantation Genetic Diagnosis

Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) is a form of genetic testing. It is similar to the screening of abnormal chromosome count only used to test for genetic diseases. The fertility institutes have used this to take gender selection to the next level. Stating that this has a greater than 99,9% success rate.

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.

One advantage is the ability to reduce the risk for diseases. Through procedures like pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD), one can inspect embryos created by in vitro fertilization (IVF) for many genetic conditions (Macklin, 2014, para. 1). While this process can be extremely beneficial ensuring the health of future generations, it can be misused in many ways.

Currently it is only legally possible to carry out two types of advanced reproductive technologies on humans. The first involves choosing the sperm to fertilize the egg, which will determine the sex and the genes of the baby. The second technique screens embryos for a genetic disease and only selected embryos are implanted back into the mother’s womb. This is called Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD).

Pre-implantation genetic diagnostic testing is a technique that is used to identify and prevent genetic defects in the embryos of mothers through in vitro fertilization before pregnancy. The term “designer babies” is what is used to describe the result of this procedure. Preimplantation genetic diagnosis can cause new issues to arise through society, morality and even science, thus this procedure should be prevented. As these certain issues of society, morality and science combine together, it can lead a negative ripple effect on humanity.

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 (PGD) involves the use of genetic screening mechanisms such as Fluorescent In Situ Hybridization (FISH) or Comparative Genomic Hybridization (CGH) to help identify genetically abnormal embryos and improve healthy outcomes.

The case presents us with extreme ethical issues pertaining to the human life. Do we use PGD and support embryonic killing or do we discard PGD and allow the birth of a child that is certain to be burdened with medical crises throughout the course of their life? It is tempting to say “Thou shalt not kill” but then again after considering the benefits of PGD, one might not take such moral stance anymore. PGD decreases the chances of giving birth to a genetic diseased offspring. Without it, there is likely to be serious hardship inflicted not only on the parents of the child but also the society and the child as well. It drastically reduces the chances of a complicated pregnancy and other medical issues such as miscarriages. It helps a great deal in saving lives that depend on stem or bone marrow transplant. PGD also appeals to the emotional minds of parents who are carriers of this genetic disorder by consoling their fears of bringing an abnormal embryo to the world. As a deontologist, Kant proposes certain principles that must be taken into consideration when determining what is ethical and unethical alongside what is morally wrong and right. The decision making of right and wrong are grounded by justice, benefice, no maleficence, human dignity, integrity, autonomy and vulnerability. He also believed in good will being as a result of the act of duty and not inclination. Finally his overall justification is based on the moral law “Act only on those maxims (or rules of

Regarding the subject of the use of IVF and PGD, or embryo screening of any kind, my stance is not a concrete one. I recognize the fact that while it is very possible for embryo screening to lead to discrimination of all kinds, it is also possible to potentially save many lives through early detection of treatable disorders, such as, hypercholesterolaemia. Therefore, I believe that the use of embryo screening technology should be used on a

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.

PGD, or pre-implantation genetic diagnosis uses IVF, in vitro fertilisation (fertilization of an egg in a laboratory dish or test tube) , to screen and scan embryos for any potential birth defects or conditions, such as Huntington’s Disease, Cystic Fibrosis or Downs Syndrome. PGD gives parents the options of being able to have healthy children, without the fear that they could inherit one of these many genetic conditions.

Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) is a method used to screen for genetic abnormalities and genetic defects in embryos, that were created through invitro fertilization (IVF). “IVF is the process of fertilization by extracting eggs, retrieving a sperm sample, and then manually combining an egg and sperm in a laboratory dish”. By using PGD, families with a risk of having a child with a serious genetic disorder can screen the embryo prior to implantation, to identify if the child presents genetic defects that can cause certain diseases or disorders. These genetic diseases or disorders occur due to one of more parents carrying the genetic abnormality. Screening can include counting chromosomes and/or a examination of molecules for a specific mutation or aneuploidy. PGD is a socio-scientific issue, due to the decision on whether to terminate the embryo if

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

Although PGD is a relatively new procedure, there are several ethical questions surrounding its use. One question is, "Should parents be allowed to choose characteristics for their children that are not related to disorders such as their baby’s eye color, personality, or even the sex of their baby?" [Wekesser,1996]. Until the genes responsible for inherited traits such as the previously mentioned are mapped, this is not an issue. If scientists do not know where the gene is located, they are unable to create a test determining the presence of the gene. However, because we do know how the sex of a child is determined, a specific gender can be screened for. Many believe that this should

In vitro fertilization (IVF) is a type of assisted reproductive technology (ART). The process involves fertilization of an egg outside of body. Generally, doctors recommend IVF to couples with male and/or female fertility problems. The technology allows using own genetic material or the one provided by donors and choosing the number of embryos being implanted. Another ART technique, Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD), is often used in combination with IVF. The PGD allows parents to select a ‘good’ embryo, which is healthier, with lower miscarriage risk, and more importantly missing some genetic diseases. Meanwhile, all the other ‘bad’ or ‘not good enough’ embryos are destroyed. As a result, parents with various medical issues use these techniques to create ‘designer babies’.