What if a baby could prevent having inherited a disease? Wouldn’t it be a blessing for this era? Would you tamper with your baby’s genetics if you would have the ability?
Designer Babies
A designer baby is one whose genetic makeup has been preselected or altered for including a specific gene or to remove genes linked to disease.
Bioengineered embryos can be created by directly introducing the desired genetic material into the embryo or into the parents’ sperm and/or egg cells, or by using gene-editing technology. This is known as germline engineering, and it is typically illegal to perform on embryos that will be carried to term.
Genetic Diseases can be altered
Genetic disorders occur before birth and genetic disorders result in birth defects. Birth defects can also be developmental rather than hereditary. Hereditary diseases are frequently described as “having to run in the family.” It is passed on from generation from one or both parents to a child and they may in turn pass it down to their children. Some common genetic diseases are- Down syndrome, Cystic Fibrosis, Thalassemia, Sickle Cell Anemia, Huntington’s disease, Duchenne’s Muscular Dystrophy, Tay-Sachs Disease, etc. These genetic disorders may lead to life-threatening situations. Some children suffer throughout their whole life. So altering genetic makeups will be a blessing. Creating designer babies will be able to alter the genetic setup before the birth of a children. So they will be grown up without any hereditary disease.
Parents can select advantageous characteristics
For parents, genetic engineering technology provides a wide range of options. The option to bear a child has long been established but recent advancements in the field allow for the selection or elimination of specific characteristics and traits. Parents can “design” their child’s features such as skin color, facial characteristics, height, and even intelligence.
The baby’s sex can be chosen
Along with choosing desirable characteristics, the child’s sex can also be chosen. In this regard, there are previously available procedures for selecting the child’s sex. These include Artificial insemination and IVF etc.
Although there are more benefits such as – Increasing life expectancy, Prevention of discrimination & Assistance to people with disability, providing a positive influence on the child, Early control of the child’s lifestyle, Contribution to a better understanding of genetic engineering etc.
A real-life example of a designer baby
Adam Nash, a designer baby, was created to save his sister from a hereditary disease known as Fanconi Anemia. The doctors chose one of Adam’s embryos that was not infected with the disease while he was being designed, so Adam was born healthy. Adam’s blood was drawn and given to his older sister to heal her. More designer babies will be created between the ages of 20 and 40, or around the time when my generation matures.
Negative impact of designer baby
Critics of designer babies believe the technology is unethical and nearly identical to the abortion process. Many of them believe that enhancing human characteristics and traits should not become a civil society practice. The development of genetic engineering in designer babies is still in its early stages, which means that many experiments are still being conducted to perfect the process. Its consequences have yet to be fully determined and comprehended. As previously stated, the technology for creating designer babies is still in its early stages, making it potentially dangerous for both the mother and the baby. Some doctors believe the technology could result in miscarriages or serious injuries to both mothers and children.
In conclusion it can be said that, Science has made incredible advances in reproductive technology, but it has not brought designer babies any closer. The ability to create designer babies is limited not by technology, but by biology: the origins of common traits and diseases are too complex and intertwined to modify the DNA without introducing unintended consequences.
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Writer
Fahima Akter
Content Writing Intern
YSSE