Tuesday, May 27, 2014


“Designer Babies” Upfront magazine article essay

Scientists say that the day when parents can select the traits their child will receive isn’t too far off. Many people are getting excited about the idea that we will be able to design our own babies, while others are questioning how much we should really be tampering with the way humans naturally reproduce. This new concept of selecting our children’s genes is raising a lot of controversy, such as the questions of whether it’s ethical, and whether it’s safe.
           
            Many are questioning whether the idea of designing our own babies is ethical. We would be tampering with natural human reproduction. Many people are wondering whether these “designer babies” would still be considered human, or if they would be considered computer-designed gene combinations. Josephine Johnston, an ethicist at the Hastings Center in Hudson, NY, finds this concept very troubling. “…The changes that play into social advantage, I hope people will pause and reconsider,” she says. “It’s hard to know how you would resist the temptation to do those things, because they are the things that promise to give your child an edge in the competitive world.” Also, the eugenics movement, which began in the late 19th century, “sought to improve the human race by discouraging the reproduction of those thought to have undesirable traits.” Eugenics was also at the root of the Nazi’s ideas on “racial purity,” which ultimately led to the holocaust. All of these ideas show how controversial the ethical side of this argument is.

            Many people are also questioning whether designing our own babies is safe. There are many complicated aspects to creating babies this way, and they could easily go wrong. Some people are also wondering whether it could create any genetic abnormalities. Jeremy Gruber, the president of the Council for Responsible Genetics, says we need to be very careful about any procedure that changes an embryo’s genes. He’s worried that they could unintentionally cause new genetic abnormalities, or could even accidentally eliminate positive traits. “You are conducting an activity that permanently alters the genome of the individual,” he says. “If you get it wrong, you’re not only getting it wrong for that individual; it becomes inheritable. That’s why it’s so crucial to make sure its safe before it’s allowed to move forward.” Some countries have already passed laws prohibiting scientists from altering the human genome in any way that could be passed down on to descendants. This shows how dangerous designing our own babies could be.

            Some say that there’s good reason to be excited about the scientific advances in genetics: diseases that result from genetic defects may be able to be prevented. Scientists have already found the defective genes that cause many of the genetic disorders, so the “designer baby” idea could replace the defective genes with healthy ones. This could make it a possibility for some horrible diseases to be a thing of the past. But, with all of the potential risks and the ethical controversy, it may not be worth it.

            Designing your own baby may be closer in our futures than we think. As exciting as this may seem, there are multiple downsides. It could cause more genetic abnormalities or eliminate positive traits, and by altering the human genome, the genetic abnormalities would become inheritable. It could also potentially cause another eugenics movement, which could easily lead to a repeat of the holocaust. Although designing your own baby might make it possible for genetic diseases to be a thing of the past, it may not be worth it. 

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