If everyone could choose what their baby would look like, would the world end up having a majority population of blonde-haired, blue-eyed people? Everyone could be tall, fair and very intelligent. But is this a valid goal? Should we be allowed to create the "perfect" baby?
Recently, a procedure allowing just this has been brought forth. Designer babies are babies whose genetic makeup has been preselected through in vitro fertilization and genetic engineering. Parents have access to new genetic testing methods which allow them to accurately predetermine their baby's gender, as well as any birth defects or disorders. With the new technique of PGD, (Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis) it is possible to discover any harmful or fatal diseases that an embryo may be carrying. Through PGD and DNA analysis, embryos with genetic defects such as Down's Syndrome or hemophilia can be detected. Embryos without these genes can then be selected and the others will be discarded.
I agree with the use of PGD for older parents and people with a history of inheritable diseases, where a process like this could be extremely beneficial for both the parents and the child. However, I completely disagree with parents who are using this procedure for purely cosmetic reasons. If someone wants to have a child, they should be willing to accept them and love them no matter what they look like.
While it may be tempting to be able to spare a child from the horrors of disease, we must think of how this course of action might affect society. Could genetic enhancement lead to a biased and prejudicial society? There is also the possibility of a gender imbalance to consider. Since countries like India and China value boys more than girls, wouldn't a process like genetic engineering worsen this issue?
Overall, I do not think that people should be able to decide how their baby turns out. I believe that we should allow nature to take its course and accept the child no matter what they are like.
Sources:
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,989987,00.html
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/science/genetics/article6978400.ece
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/03/03/earlyshow/health/main4840346.shtml
http://jessy3149.blogspot.com/2010/11/i-asked-for-blue-eyed-baby.html?showComment=1291411230704#c3176441126472783667
http://biologyislyfe.blogspot.com/2010/11/bio-engineered-kids.html?showComment=1291412419466#c6320318391060227074
