Abstract
Technological advancements have been on the increase in the recent past. They have brought into existence many new ideas and concepts that have not been popular with human beings. One of the areas that have witnessed a revolution as a result of technology is procreation. Under normal circumstances, nobody thought that it could be possible to use concepts like genetic engineering to influence the characteristics of an unborn child. The gender and appearance of children have always been thought to be something that human beings cannot control but technology has changed the whole scenario. Through genetic engineering, it is possible to influence the gender and the characteristics of a child before it is born.
The whole process is carried out through various methods that employ distinct procedures to create designer babies. The resultant babies have got their advantages and disadvantages. However, a great concern is the legal, ethical, and moral implications of designer babies. Ethically, there are those who believe that it is wrong to create designer babies. In addition, other individuals believe that babies have both positive and negative moral implications. The creation of designer babies is an outcome of advancements in technology hence the debate should be on the extent to which technology can be applied in changing the way human beings live and the things they believe in.
Interest behind the Choice of Topic
Improved technology has facilitated the isolation of healthy embryos from the ones that exhibit genetic disorders through careful identification. However, there is a possibility that, in the future, the same technology may be used to change the nature of embryos and remove some desirable qualities. A designer baby is a term used to make reference to this unusual scenario. The term is not common among scientists. My research focuses on this sensitive issue of designer babies since it has been one of the most controversial topics in recent times. The topic is important to me because there are many unanswered questions surrounding the whole concept. For instance, many people do not know how it is conducted (Bliss 34).
Advanced reproductive methods entail the use of In Vitro Fertilisation, commonly referred to as IVF to facilitate fertilization of the eggs in test tubes, a procedure that usually takes place outside the body of the mother in a laboratory. The main reason why doctors and parents opt for this procedure is to reduce the possibility of children being delivered with genetic disorders.
Most of the current reproductive technologies used in creating designer babies are not. In the first accepted type, the sex and genes of the baby are determined after choosing the sperm responsible for fertilization (Franklin and Roberts 53). In the second type, the embryos are screened for genetic disorders where only chosen ones to get implanted back into the womb of the mother through a process called Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) (Franklin and Roberts 53).
During my research, I have found out that scientists have been interested to know whether human beings possess information related to human genomes and the fact that they can alter the nature of genes. With time, genetic diseases present in un-born children may be cured by eliminating unhealthy DNA sections and introducing healthy ones. This process has been conducted on animal embryos with apparent success but has not been legalized with human beings.
However, it is acceptable to alter the nature of ailing genes found the cells of mature individuals in a bid to deal with diseases like cystic fibrosis. My assumption has been that genetic engineering which results in designer babies is totally unacceptable but there are some beneficial aspects associated with the concept. There are different procedures involved in creating designer babies and each procedure varies from the other. I would, therefore, be interested in gaining more knowledge of the variations in procedures involved in creating designer babies (Designer Babies 5).
Search for Information and Focus
Variations in Procedures of Creating Designer Babies
In a bid to look for information about the topic, I used different sources, among them are books, journal articles, and internet sources. I also attempted to look for some films but the sources that gave me adequate information were journaled articles, books, and internet sources. The subject was broad but I narrowed down into the variation in procedures used to create designer babies, the legal, ethical and moral principles behind the creation of designer babies and the advantages and disadvantages of designer babies.
The creation of designer babies does not use a single procedure hence there are variations in the procedures used in creating the babies. One of the most commonly used methods is viral injection. In this process, genetic engineers make a virus that has a specific desired gene. Together with a marker, the virus is then introduced into the embryo. The marker gene is important in the process since it produces a color that confirms to the genetic engineers that the egg has accepted the gene. Culturing of the cells goes on up to the time they divide several. The embryos that respond positively to the genes go through implantation into the uterus.
The second method involved in the creation of designer babies entails the use of artificial chromosomes. This procedure varies from viral injection in that it involves addition of entirely new chromosomes. This gives genetic engineers a chance to make modifications on the genetic qualities while ensuring that insertional mutagenesis does not take place. The disadvantage of this procedure is that it can lead to diseases. In addition, both parents are required to be in possession of the extra chromosome for the child to bear the characteristics on the particular chromosome (Important Insights on Designer Babies 2).
The third procedure involved in the creation of designer babies is homologous recombination. It involves the replacement of particular genetic sequences with other sequences that have desirable qualities. Although the procedure is slow, it reduces the risk of insertional mutagenesis. The process through which the genetic sequence of an individual is identified is referred to as genome analysis.
Ethical Principles Regarding Designer Babies
Ttranshumanists, technophiles and libertarians are some of the people who support creation of designer babies. They believe that the society has a moral obligation to make a positive change in the attributes of human beings. It is also possible for them to argue that since individuals are morally allowed to control their bodies, they are also supposed to do the same to their children.
On the other hand, those who oppose designer babies are comprised of those against abortion, which results from certain genetic engineering types. The fact that the embryo is not involved in the decision when the procedures are being conducted is also a major concern for opponents of designer babies. According to them, if the process of genetic engineering is allowed to continue, it will make the individuals who undergo genetic modification feel superior when compared with the rest of the people. The eventual outcome is a society characterised by discrimination (Sonia 929).
Moral Principles Regarding Designer Babies
There are numerous moral issues that surround designer babies. For instance, since invention of PGD has made it possible to determine the gender of a child, there have been concerns that there will be no gender balance in the future. Some countries or societies exhibit preference for a particular gender. For example, in the Chinese culture, boys are valued more than girls since it is believed that they have the capacity to make a difference in their families, something that the girls cannot do. In such a society, most parents would choose to have boys, something which is morally wrong.
The process of creating designer babies also elicits moral criticism since it is believed that the whole process portrays disrespect to God. Children are regarded as Godly gifts whose characteristics cannot and should not be influenced by anybody. As a result, parents who determine the characteristics of their children are looked at as people who do not respect God. In addition, there have been endless legal issues revolving around designer babies. In most countries, genetic engineering is not an accepted concept although genetic engineers have been struggling to prove that the procedures involved are saved. One of the reasons why the concept has not been widely accepted is because it is associated with various complications including certain diseases.
Part III: What I Have Learnt from the Research
Advantages of Designer Babies
From the research, I have learnt that there are several advantages associated with designer babies. To begin with, the process of genetic engineering lowers the chances of the baby being delivered with deadly diseases such as cystic fibrosis, blood disorders such as anaemia, spinal muscular atrophy and Down syndrome among others. For instance, an example is given of Adam Nash, the first designer baby to exist.
He was born through the implantation process in 2000. Since he did not have the right cells, scientists altered his embryo in order to rescue the life of one of the dearest people to him, his sister. His sister suffered from a blood disorder that threatened his own life. The scientists chose an embryo that was devoid of the disorder. Adam therefore turned to be his sister’s donor, something that increased his survival chances.
The second advantage of designer babies is that it helps parents who suffer from inherited diseases such as hypertension, diabetes and obesity among others or diseases such as cancer, thalassemia and arthritis to shield future generations from inheriting genes that possess such diseases. Faulty genes are screened to get the good ones that are used in the uterus during implantation. This guarantees a healthy generation. Parents therefore may advocate for genetic engineering in order to prevent the children from genetic diseases.
Disadvantages of Designer Babies
Although designer babies have their advantages, I have also learnt that they still have disadvantages. The first one is that the use of genetic engineering geared towards enhancing genetic attributes among human beings generates unending controversies. Many questions are raised concerning the ethical appropriateness of creating designer babies whose appearance and physical ability is enhanced. Different people argue that designer babies separate procreation from sex, which is against the religious teachings. This might eventually lead to the plummeting of biodiversity in human beings hence a long-term calamity (UseBrinks 31).
Eugenics is the study of the chances of making improvements in the qualities of human population or human beings. It uses means like reducing reproduction among individuals who have genetic problems or believed to possess undesirable traits which could be inherited. It is believed that the introduction of designer babies definitely affects biodiversity to a great extent. In addition, when parents decide for their children the traits they should have, they deprive of their children a chance to have voice in their lives. For instance, parents who have great interest in sports will advocate for the engineering of an athletics ability in their children who may be interested in different things. As a result, the freedom of the child to make a choice is reduced.
The third disadvantage of designer babies is that if allowed to take place, genetic engineering affects the society negatively. It leads to unjustified fear or hatred being directed towards foreign individuals or any person whose appearance is different from that of other people. Rejection of persons with genetic complications might be a common thing. They might be regarded as gene poor, causing them to be excluded by other members of the society. In certain parts of the world, people who suffer from genetic defects are exposed to discriminatory treatment.
The discrimination is based on there traits or characteristics that are different from those of other individuals. Children who are born and raised by rich parents undergo genetic enhancements hence they tend to consider themselves privileged than children born of poor parents. This creates a disadvantage for the children from poor families since their chances are limited. Individuals who cannot afford genetic engineering might therefore be despised hence creating societal gaps. In addition, in many countries all around the world, there is a sex discrimination that allows men to rule and to set their particular rules.
Self Reflection
Generally, I have learnt that genetic engineering is a complicated concept that should not be played with. A single mistake during the process may lead to alterations in the lives of successive generations. This mostly happens due to the fact that predicting when particular mutations may result into diseases or viruses may not be possible. As human beings, it is important to understand that one does not make a choice to come into the world. As a result, it is not possible to control everything including the traits that children should possess.
This research has enabled me to enhance my research skills since I have learnt how to use different sources to conduct research. I have also learnt that research is an intensive undertaking that requires enough preparation in order to collect factual and accurate information. I have successfully written a comprehensive research paper that sheds more light on designer babies. The research is an important tool that can be used by an individual who wishes to gain insightful information on genetic engineering and the process of creating designer babies.
Works Cited
Bliss, John. Designer Babies , New York: Raintree, 2012. Print.
Designer Babies 2002. Web.
Franklin, Sarah and Celia Roberts. Born and Made: An Ethnography of Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 2006. Print.
Important Insights on Designer Babies 2012. Web.
UseBrinks. “It’s a Designer Baby!”: Opinions on Regulation of Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis.” UCLA Journal of Law and Technology. (2005): 5-10. Web.
Sonia, Suter. “A Brave New World of Designer Dabies.” Berkeley Technology Law Journal (2007): 929-937.