1. Industry

Discuss in my forum

Readers Respond: Test-Tube Babies and Genetic Screening

Be the first to respond

From , former About.com Guide

From the article: Designer Babies
While designing your own baby may be a future fantasy, the human genome project makes it a real possibility. In vitro fertilization has been possible for years, and has helped many couples having problems conceiving. While the concept of the "test-tube" baby was once considered ethically questionable, it is, to many, now a generally accepted practice. However, some new bioethical issues have arisen out of the technology. Human embryos can be screened for debilitating genetic diseases and rejected. In addition, parents might, in the near future, reject embryos of the "wrong" sex, or that don't express the features they want. Selection based on screening for desired traits doesn't sit well with everyone - How would you feel if you knew your parents selected YOUR blastocyst based on genetic composition?

©2013 About.com. All rights reserved.