After hours of research we, Salty Spitoon, have decided that genetically modifying human embryos should be allowed to only have limited actions. Imagine a world where modifying the genetics of your children was possible. You could make sure they never had a terminal disease and hide secret affair of yours! Wouldn’t that be great? While this seems amazing, there is still the question as to whether or not editing other genes of embryos should be done. The thought of being able to choose your child’s eye color, sounds but just that small details would cause great controversy on the matter. Though, what about choosing the gender? The height? Skin tone? If you have the money, you would be able to create a baby with purple eyes, blue hair, sharp teeth, abnormally long legs, and tanned skin. Designer babies are basically the human equivalent of a Build-A-Bear Workshop. You must also take into consideration the possible birth defects that happen as a result? Are you willing to risk your child’s health to change their appearance? There are just so many things to consider in the topic of genetic modification. However, as the human race we have to decide whether to draw the line here and call it unethical or not.
Health plays a huge factor in designer babies. Will it help prevent mental conditions like autism or cause them? ‘Ethics of Designer Babies’ by Sarah Ly, states that designing your babies may actually help prevent them, and encourage better health in infants. ”The prospect of engineering a child with specific traits is not far-fetched. IVF has become an increasingly common procedure to help couples with infertility problems conceive children, and the practice of IVF confers the ability to pre-select embryos before implantation. For example, preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) allows viable embryos to be screened for various genetic traits, such as sex-linked diseases, before implanting them in the mother. They have developed a method to help couples with infertility problems as well, and are able to pre-select embryos to see if they will have any mental conditions such as autism. “The increased ability to control and manipulate embryos presents many possibilities for improving the health of children through prenatal diagnosis,” https://embryo.asu.edu/pages/ethics-designer-babies#sthash.MbVHeYQW.dpuf. On the other hand, this process may actually be harmful to the baby. The process can also go wrong and cause the mental disorders. “The process of trait selection can be used to combat genetic diseases.’The Center for Genetics and Society (CGS), which lies on the other side of the political spectrum, insisted there exists ‘no medical justification’ for the editing of human germline embryos. It also notes that any medical necessity for making these changes can be done through other means (i.e. screening embryos and abortions)." There also is evidence that scientists don't even have the technology to do something like this.Today, the very same fertility clinic has begun to investigate these 17 designer babies, according to The Independent, in order to learn more about the long-term health effects. Until now, none of these children had been checked for late-onset conditions. At a medical conference in 2002, one of the embryologists involved in their birth reported one child had been diagnosed with "pervasive developmental disorder," a term for symptoms ranging from mild delays to autism.” as Sarah Knapton said, the of the 1 out of 17 babies that they checked, they had found out that it had developed a minor autism. This is how designing your babies can be good , or bad for your child’s health. http://www.medicaldaily.com/how-safe-are-designer-babies-mitochondrial-replacement-technique-examined-311284
Designer babies bring up social problems as well. For one, it will create a social divide between the rich and the poor. “"The social argument against designer babies is that if this technology becomes a realistic and accessible medical practice, then it would create a division between those that can afford the service and those that cannot. Therefore, the wealthy would be able to afford the selection of desirable traits in their offspring, while those of lower socioeconomic standing would not be able to access the same options." There is also the issue of race. People will have the ability to choose their child’s race, and it could create the possibility of false accusations of racism. Not only that, but designer babies create the possibility for bullying. Kids who aren’t designer babies might bully kids that are for being different, as if we need any more bait for bullying. On the other hand, there are also benefits. “It is the very future of the way in which societies accept persons with disabilities that is at play since such gene editing procedures infer that they should not have been brought into existence.” This could eliminate disabilities which will eliminate a lot of bullying.
Is modifying the genetics of embryos even ethical? "Additionally, other arguments in favor of designer baby technologies suggest that parents already possess a high degree of control over the outcome of their children’s lives in the form of environmental choices, and that this should absolve some of the ethical concerns facing genetic selection. For example, parents keen on establishing musical appreciation in their children may sign them up for music classes or take them to concerts on a regular basis. These choices affect the way a child matures, much like the decision to select certain genes predisposes a child to develop in ways that the parents have predetermined are desirable" (Medical Daily). Is it really okay to make life decisions for the child? If you select the gender of the embryos, what if the child grows up to not identify with that gender? What if the child develops the want to be shorter or wants to have lighter hair? Parents will have too much control over their children, and they will no longer be seen as living beings, but rather accessories that you can purchases and change to your liking.
Overall, genetically modifying human embryos should be limited to what is deemed as morally and ethically correct. While changing the DNA structure for terminal diseases are amazing, the other opportunities this may open such as changing appearance or personality is not. Defining who the child is and what they are, shouldn’t be allowed to be determined before they even gain the experience of life.
