Designer babies

[kj]

Recently in the news there has been coverage about a new technique that allows doctors to diagnose early signs of degenerated diseases in feotuses allows parents to terminate embryos to reduce the risk of having children susceptible to having various disabilities in later life.

Is this what Hitler had in mind when he wanted to create the perfect race? Is this technology something that should be used and should be made available or is this technology giving people the impression that people living with disabilities are lesser human beings and only encouraging discrimination?

[Hecate]

Originally Posted by kj

Recently in the news there has been coverage about a new technique that allows doctors to diagnose early signs of degenerated diseases in feotuses allows parents to terminate embryos to reduce the risk of having children susceptible to having various disabilities in later life.

Is this what Hitler had in mind when he wanted to create the perfect race? Is this technology something that should be used and should be made available or is this technology giving people the impression that people living with disabilities are lesser human beings and only encouraging discrimination?

It's a real dilemma this one.
On one hand this technique could be severely abused (choosing the sex of a child etc), but on the other hand it could save parents and children alike from a lifetime of pain and heartache.
Having said that though, I don't know anyone with a child with a disability who would want to go back in time given the choice, and not have that child. I think it's like your senses, if one is impaired then you enhance others to compensate, and in that respect a disability is the very similar. I'm including at a mental and emotional level too here, take Stephen Hawkings as an example.
I do agree that it could set very dangerous and destructive views on disabilities in motion, which are already quite apparent in society, on all sorts of levels, and that is not a good thing.
I guess I'm quite old-fashioned, and believe we are what we are and it shouldn't be messed with at a genetic level, but I'm sure many people would be outraged at my view and would be grateful to know whether they may be carrying a child with, say, Down's syndrome (not a good example as there's already good tests for that), and have the choice.
However, life is all about variety and so is evolution, and who is to say what's bad and what's good?

[xglitter-me-upx]

Originally Posted by freakonaleash

It's a real dilemma this one.
On one hand this technique could be severely abused (choosing the sex of a child etc), but on the other hand it could save parents and children alike from a lifetime of pain and heartache.
Having said that though, I don't know anyone with a child with a disability who would want to go back in time given the choice, and not have that child. I think it's like your senses, if one is impaired then you enhance others to compensate, and in that respect a disability is the very similar. I'm including at a mental and emotional level too here, take Stephen Hawkings as an example.
I do agree that it could set very dangerous and destructive views on disabilities in motion, which are already quite apparent in society, on all sorts of levels, and that is not a good thing.
I guess I'm quite old-fashioned, and believe we are what we are and it shouldn't be messed with at a genetic level, but I'm sure many people would be outraged at my view and would be grateful to know whether they may be carrying a child with, say, Down's syndrome (not a good example as there's already good tests for that), and have the choice.
However, life is all about variety and so is evolution, and who is to say what's bad and what's good?

I agree with Kate on this 100%.
In a way it might be a good thing. I mean, women have abortions in some instances where they find out their child will be severly impaired but this is usually only into second and third trimester. Which would be much more of an ordeal.

The story I read was about IVF, was it meaning couples already undergoing IVF or couples with a high risk of passing on a genetic disease being offered IVF treatment as a way to make sure their child doesn't get a disease. I was a little confused.

I think it will possibly put a bad light on disabilites, but I guess it's the parents choice ultimately if they are given the option.
I guess some parents feel like they wouldn't be able to cope. Which is why some do terminate in 2nd and 3rd trimesters after discovering.
But I still think there are going to be people out there who won't care and will still carry the child to term.

When I was pregnant I didn't even know there was a test to find out if the baby had spina bifida or Down's syndrome and when the midwife asked me if I wanted it done I just said yes.
After leaving I had wished I'd said no.
It may have made me a bad person but I don't know how I would have reacted getting a test back with a result of a yes possibilty.
It doesn't mean I think a genetic disorder is a bad thing, I just don't know if I would have had the time and strength to have dealt with it at the age I was and alot of other factors I was taking into consideration.