Creating Your Child, how far is too far? Options

[Heewee]

This is a topic that we have been recently discussing in my genetics class...


Recent technology has made it possible for those who can afford to do so to genetically select the gender of their baby:

Many parents desperately wish for that little girl (or boy) they always dreamed of. Now that it is scientifically possible to “sort” the X and Y chromosomes in sperm, The Genetics and IVF Institute is giving parents the power to choose the sex of their next baby. An FDA clinical trial of a sperm-sorting technology called MicroSort can determine the sex, with an 88 percent success rate for females, and 73 percent success for males.

The technology was originally created by the Department of Agriculture to use with livestock. According to a Newsweek article, over 1300 couples have used Microsort’s services since it began its clinical trial in 1995. The process can cost at least $2,500 each attempt, but it varies widely depending on what process is used (IVF, IUI) to achieve the pregnancy.

The ability to choose a baby’s gender opens a big can of moral and ethical worms, says the Newsweek article. “If couples can request a baby boy or girl, what’s next on the slippery slope of modern reproductive medicine? Eye color? Height? Intelligence? Could picking one gender over the other become the 21st century’s form of sex discrimination?”

Genetics is such a fast-changing science that the above article, written just under a year ago, is already outdated. Picking eye color, height, inteligence, and many other traits are available to parents to can afford to do so. This includes, the ability to do away with life-threatening diseases or even simple nuisances, such as wearing glasses. However, should people that have will have perfectly fine babies otherwise be allowed to genetically alter the alleles of their future babies just to change the eye color or hair color? My question to you guys is do you think that this is morally right and what are you reasons for or against your argument?

[pandamonium]

if we let this happen society will reach a perfect state. everybody would have the same features generation after generation, only if we would let this occur. Cause once we let people choose the gender of their baby a whole can of possibilities will open.

If we let this happen we would lose certain traits that are hard to find in this world. like people with double joints, people that can do different things than other people, siamese twins. Especially the people that are mongoloid those people usually have unconditional love, they will hug you and love you even if you have wronged them. Who knows we might even lose homosexuality.

All i am saying is that if we are able to choose the gender of our babies research will futher and anything could be possible.

so in my opinion we should not be able to choose our childrens gender, its not right, we should take what life wants to give us.

[yummy_delight]

if we let this happen society will reach a perfect state.

Or an imperfect one. If this kind of genetic engineering becomes popular among parents, we'd be eliminating genetic variation. We could eventually phase out certain traits that may seem useless to us now, but could ultimately determine our survival, should a disaster happen that could wipe out the human race.

Although this takes it to an extreme, it could still be possible.

True. We are still choosing to give a life and care for it. So it can not be moral. Its not like we are aborting

Sure, the parents are choosing to give a life. But, they are still doing it under CERTAIN CONDITIONS. That, in itself, is unethical.

[Ington]

Maybe it's because of my religious beliefs, but there are certain things that should just be left for nature to decide.

It's important for children to have high self esteem, and to feel like they are perfect the way that they are. Imagine being told by your parents, "You know, you were supposed to be a boy. But we wanted a girl, so we made you one." Wouldn't you feel terrible? You would feel like your parents didn't love you the way that you were meant to be born, and that you were inadequate even as a fetus.

With the exception of genetic disorders or illnesses, babies should be kept the way that God made them.

It depends on the parent whether or not the child feels bad about it. It the parents are assholes, thats what will happen. But if they spend so much money to do that, I don't think they'd make their kid feel bad about it.

Or an imperfect one. If this kind of genetic engineering becomes popular among parents, we'd be eliminating genetic variation. We could eventually phase out certain traits that may seem useless to us now, but could ultimately determine our survival, should a disaster happen that could wipe out the human race.

Although this takes it to an extreme, it could still be possible.



Sure, the parents are choosing to give a life. But, they are still doing it under CERTAIN CONDITIONS. That, in itself, is unethical.

Its not wiping out genetic variation. Its just changing it. There isn't going to be a human standard or anything, the parents are going to pick certain details and change them. Its not going to be like in Gattaca. For example, the parents might say "I want my son to have blue eyes", but that doesn't mean that every parent in the world will have sons with blue eyes. It will be to the liking of the parents, not to the liking of humanity.

Also, I think that if parents are given a chance to help their child before its born is pretty ethical. Everyone wants a healthy baby. Just because they're given the option to and take it doesn't mean its unethical. They're able to take such a large burden as a new baby, so really, the scale tilts towards them.

by perfect i meant that everyone will be physically athletic, academically smart, have no sicknesses, just plain perfect. there will be no variety.

Would it be so horrible that no one would be dying of diseases? So horrible that there won't be any more idiots left and no obese lards in McDonalds?

I guess it would be, because you know, we as much variation as possible.

[yummy_delight]

Its not wiping out genetic variation. Its just changing it. There isn't going to be a human standard or anything, the parents are going to pick certain details and change them. Its not going to be like in Gattaca. For example, the parents might say "I want my son to have blue eyes", but that doesn't mean that every parent in the world will have sons with blue eyes. It will be to the liking of the parents, not to the liking of humanity.

Okay, it wouldn't be doing away with genetic variation because the parents would have the choice of which traits they'd want to change. But that doesn't change the fact that we would be customizing HUMAN BEINGS, not cars or homes. Nature made us a certain way for a reason. Although we have the ability, what right do we have to change the way that people were meant to be, unless doing so would change a potentially sick baby into a healthy one?