Now that you've gotten the scoop on what a designer baby actually is, we have to determine whether or not they're a good idea. In other words, should parents be able to change the traits of their unborn children? In the world of science and medicine, designer babies are a huge leap in genetic technology. This technology can positively impact the lives of many parents and children by decreasing the risk of genetic diseases including Alzheimers, Down's Syndrome, Huntington's Disease, and Cystic Fibrosis. Designer DNA technology can also decrease the risk of inheritable cancers such as breast, ovarian, and prostate cancer. This technology would additionally be able to improve the health and standard of living for hundreds of individuals by potentially increasing the human life span up to 30 years. While these are all incredible medical and genetic advancements, the testing for Designer Babies, led by the genetic ancestry and health company 23andme, hasn't received a patent yet.
This is due to the ethical arguments that are prevalent in the topic of choosing babies' traits. Medical societies including the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) think that even choosing a baby's gender would impact sexism against women, let alone choosing a baby's physical and inner attributes. Many scientific ethicists think that parents would use Designer DNA technology for superficial reasons, like having a blonde-haired blue eyed baby. This could easily create (or reinforce) a gap in society that discriminates certain races and appearances. Another ethical problem raised is that human individuality would be lost and everyone would be similar or the same (more on clones later). People also believe it's wrong to impact your baby's personality and traits, for example making her athletic rather than smart, before they have a chance to choose for themselves.
To sum it up, Designer Babies are an amazing medical and scientific advancement but, like most discoveries, they come along with many imperative ethical and societal questions and concerns.
Ghose, By Tia. "Children to Order: The Ethics of 'Designer Babies'" LiveScience. TechMedia Network, 13 Mar. 2014. Web. 05 Jan. 2016.
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