Sunday, October 17, 2010

The Ideal Baby....It Could Be Yours!


We all want a flawless, healthy baby, but who would have guessed that it could happen!

What’s a designer baby?

Designer baby, as named by the media, is a baby in which its’ embryos have been prescreened and modified. Presently, there’re only 2 ways to “design” your baby; determining sex and genes, or screening for genetic diseases and then taking only selected genes. They do it by In Vitro Fertilisation.



 

Right now, you can choose the gender, skin, eye and hair colour. Imagine what you could do within a few decades!
Sounds pretty cool right? But it comes with a price, not just financially, but if your child realizes your selfish actions, you could lose them forever.

IVF is very common amongst couples who’re infertile, but they may have to reattempt IVF several times to succeed. There’re a lot of risks that follow, such as children having genetic defects, and very low birth weight. There’s also an increased rate in women dying during childbirth.

With IVF becoming so popular, scientists have gone further to testing gene modifications on mice, and if it succeeds, they’ll move onto humans. It’s quite terrifying, because they’ve tested traits such as susceptibility to disease, shyness, athletic ability and IQ. 

Personally, I feel that designer babies are wrong, in the way that people may be using it to choose physical features that they want. I believe that each and every one of us, as a whole, is given to us and us only by God. We’re all special because we’re different, and parents shouldn’t alter their child, because they should love them for themselves, which is partly them!

But, genetic processing for eliminating diseases isn’t a completely bad idea. Jamie Whitaker born through IVF saved his brother’s life. Put yourself in the shoes of a parent, it’s really heartbreaking to see your child die from a disease they’ve inherited/got while knowing there’s a way of saving them. Sick young children, will always question “Why me?”



For those who’re pro-life, IFV isn’t right because they kill some embryos, and all embryos are a form of life. Sexism kicks in too because some societies favor boys.


Imagine the impact it’ll have on children who know they’ve been genetically altered. Socially, they could be outcasts because other kids may look down on them or tease them.

In the future, if everyone’s been designed and there’s a child that’s been born naturally, they may feel ugly and different. They’ll think that appearance is important and it’s vital to have the perfect baby.

There’s a possibility for more abandoned children because they’re not perfect in their mother’s eyes.

IVF shouldn’t be permitted for beauty desires; appearance is too highlighted in this world, we should accept who everyone is, for who they truly are. Furthermore, if we’re able to determine other traits for our child, it also should be prohibited, as it’s unfair to create humans that have been altered to be better than others. In the end, we’re all just humans.
Pause and ponder, Think before you act!

References

"Beware the Dangers of IVF." The Pregnancy Zone. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Oct. 2010.
     <http://www.thepregnancyzone.com/age-fertility/beware-of-the-dangers-of-ivf/>.

"The Dangers of IVF." Leave the Lights On. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Oct. 2010.
     <http://www.leavethelightson.info/the-dangers-of-ivf>.

"Designer Babies: Ethical Considerations." Action Bio Science. N.p., n.d. Web.
     17 Oct. 2010. <http://www.actionbioscience.org/biotech/agar.html>.

"Designer babies- For love or science?" Mind Magazine. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Oct.
     2010. <http://www.mindmagazine.com/story/designbaby.htm>.

 "Designer Baby." Time. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Oct. 2010.
<http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,989987-1,00.html>.

A Guided Tour of IVF Procedure. YouTube. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Oct. 2010.
     <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WypK9TpD34>.

"Is IVF Safe? Health Risks of IVF." Leave the Lights On. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Oct.
     2010. <http://www.leavethelightson.info/is-ivf-safe-health-risks-of-in-vitro-fertilization>.

"Risks of Fertility Treatment." Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority.
     N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Oct. 2010. <http://www.hfea.gov.uk/fertility-treatment-risks.html>.

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