Designer babies is a term used to describe the process of using a procedure called pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) to allow parents to select their babies traits , or 'design' them. This article from the Wall Street Journal explains the process, and states that PGD has been used for many years to avoid life-threatening diseases in children. It goes on to describe the many uses and improvements of PGD, and it's relation to the creation of designer babies. The article explains that PGD is done by taking a three-day old embryo consisting of six-cells, and taking it to the lab to test for any genetic diseases. If the process of PGD still doesn't seem too futuristic, the concept of designer babies should.
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| This image from The Wall Street Journal article shows how the process of trait selection works |
Social and Ethical Issues
In the past, people couldn't even figure out the gender of their babies, now they can choose the gender they want their babies to be. This is probably why the concept of designer babies is so controversial. Some people are very used to natural selection because it has been around since the dawn of time and find it to be immoral, while others find it interesting and would like to try it out. It's a scary concept to digest, it probably scares everyone, even the people that try it out or perform the procedure, but it is the way that people react to their fear that creates conflict. Whether they decide to venture into the light, or stay in the dark about it, it will always be a possibility. Personal values aren't the only things that might affect a persons decision to use the process; religion could also play a huge role. Some people might decide that it goes against God's natural process, while other might see it as a way to improve man-kind.
Even with all this controversy around it, there is still no guarantee that the process will work 100% of the time. Scientists can do whatever they want with the genes, but the embryo still has a long way to develop, and there's no telling of what might happen during a process that was supposed to be natural in the first place. This process might even be able to create defects that wouldn't have been there before if that baby had grown naturally.
It is also dangerous that humans now have access to gene selection because it creates discrimination, and prevents diversity in the world. Also, the intentions of these doctors that are for trait selection may be good, but that doesn't mean that everybody's intentions are good.
Ultimately it is up to the parent to decide on whether the pros outweigh the cons or vice-versa, the fact is that trait selection is a very powerful concept, and should be used with caution if used at all.
Credibility and Bias
I think that this article comes from a very credible source. It comes from The Wall Street Journal website; The Wall Street Journal has been running since 1889 and mainly publishes material about business and economics. The article is written by Gautam Naik, who was written several other articles for The Wall Street Journal on scientific topics.
Despite it's credibility, I do think that this article shows a little bit of bias. The writers words seem to be neutral, and only state the facts, however the quotes he uses are all against the use of PGD for trait selection. The writer tells of Doctor's who are for trait selection, but does not quote them.
Source: NAIK, G. (2009, February 12). A Baby, Please. Blond, Freckles -- Hold the Colic.The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved February 9, 2013, from http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1234397716
