Bioethics: Embryonic screening

[AKLRULZ]

Regarding this news item that I read this morning:

Boy or girl? Almost half of U.S. fertility clinics that offer embryo screening say they allow couples to choose the sex of their child, the most extensive survey of the practice suggests.

Sex selection without any medical reason to warrant it was performed in about 9 percent of all embryo screenings last year, the survey found.

Another controversial procedure - helping parents conceive a child who could supply compatible cord blood to treat an older sibling with a grave illness - was offered by 23 percent of clinics, although only 1 percent of screenings were for that purpose in 2005.

For the most part, couples are screening embryos for the right reasons - to avoid passing on dreadful diseases, said Dr. William Gibbons, who runs a fertility clinic in Baton Rouge, La., and is president of the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology, which assisted with the survey.

"There are thousands of babies born now that we know are going to be free of lethal and/or devastating genetic diseases. That's a good thing," he said.

However, the survey findings also confirm many ethicists' fears that Americans increasingly are seeking "designer babies" not just free of medical defects but also possessing certain desirable traits.

Source: LINK TO TEXT

What are your thoughts on the bioethical issues surrounding the ability of being able to choose the sex of your baby? How about selection for compatible cord blood? Screening out horrific genetic disease? How about screening to determine hair or eye color? What if some embryos are discarded for not having the desired traits? Is there a line where embryonic screening shouldn't cross or are the boundaries endless? Are these stats so small that it doesn't make a difference - or are we headed into a time when you think we'll see these stats rise higher? And I guess the big question is are we playing God too much or is this really even that big of a big deal?

 

[TheOtherVillainess]

If I had the choice, I wouldn't choose an embryo based on the fact that it might have certain physical traits. I would however choose an embryo based on sex because I only want boys.

TOV

 

[Kimmie5870]

If you can't be happy with the baby you are given then you shouldn't be having any to begin with.

 

[TheOtherVillainess]

But what if a couple (like DH and myself) only want children of one gender? Are you saying they shouldn't have any at all?

TOV

 

[bicker]

I believe that it is fine to use genetic screening for certain considerations: screening against birth defects and other genetic tendencies towards maladies and ailments. Anything along those lines is perfectly fine, AFAIC. Other considerations, like eye color, I find to be self-indulgences. I'm not sure I'd ban them, but would discourage them for sure, since they serve no legitimate purpose.

 

[Galahad]

I believe that it is fine to use genetic screening for certain considerations: screening against birth defects and other genetic tendencies towards maladies and ailments. Anything along those lines is perfectly fine, AFAIC. Other considerations, like eye color, I find to be self-indulgences. I'm not sure I'd ban them, but would discourage them for sure, since they serve no legitimate purpose.

I agree. It really isn't like going to the grocery store........

 

[helenabear]

If you can't be happy with the baby you are given then you shouldn't be having any to begin with.

I agree! Though I can understand why some with those rare genetic defects would want to screen. That way you wouldn't have kids with painful & deadly diseases.

I do find ones who want only a certain sex to be considered self indulgence like I would hair or eye color. If you can't want or love the look of a child, then don't have any more.

 

[yeartolate]

But what if a couple (like DH and myself) only want children of one gender? Are you saying they shouldn't have any at all?

TOV

Why only children of one gender?

 

[TheOtherVillainess]

Pass the popcorn.

*edited for year2late*
Why only one gender? DH doesn't really care, tbh, but I only want boys. Girls are fine for some people, but I don't want them. I just don't. I don't want to have to deal with the issues that come with having a girl. I would really rather have boys only.

TOV

 

[Kimmie5870]

There are alot of little boys out their that NEED to be adopted by a loving family.


I see nothing wrong with wanting a certain sex baby.....but if a person can't love any child they are given unconditionally,well that says alot about why they shouldn't have children.

 

[froglady]

Would I screen for gender? Never. I have both, but would be happy if they were both girls, or both boys. I can't imagine preferring one above the other.

I would, and have, screened for genetic disorders, but fortunately did not find anything that would cause a child suffering, or anything I felt I couldn't handle. I would also never screen for hair & eye color, height, intelligence, etc.

I also could not imagine having a baby simply to treat a living child, but I've never (nor will I ever, at this point ) had to face that decision. I think I would have to be faced with watching a child die, knowing that conceiving a sibling might save his/her life before I could pass judgement.

 

[Laura]

I don't have any kids. It would only matter to me what sex we'd have because DH and I have already chosen a boy's name, but there are too many girl's names that I like so it would be harder to decide. It's not enough of a reason to actually choose to have a boy, of course. Health screenings I can understand completely. No parents want their children to suffer.

I think I need an explanation why in the USA people care about the sex of a child, especially for a first child. I suppose if some parents have lots of boys and would like a girl, I can get that.

 

[TheOtherVillainess]

If we ever decide to have another child (and right now, we're not sure about that) and it turns out to be a girl, I will learn to deal with that and love her unconditionally just like I do DS. But I will really be praying for another boy. I don't see anything wrong with that.

TOV

 

[Laura]

If we ever decide to have another child (and right now, we're not sure about that) and it turns out to be a girl, I will learn to deal with that and love her unconditionally just like I do DS. But I will really be praying for another boy. I don't see anything wrong with that.

TOV

You're hilarious. "Learn to deal with that" as if having a girl is like having a child born with a genetic disorder or a severe deformity. Guess someone told you girls were trouble, eh?

 

[TheOtherVillainess]

TOV

 

[KimR]

I don't think embryonic screening in any of those cases is ethically wrong. If the situation warranted it, I would definitely do it myself in order to screen out genetic diseases or for cord blood for a terminally ill child. I probably would not do it for sex selection (but can see where people would) and definitely not to have a 'designer baby'. But I can't think of a reason why any of those scenarios would be ethically wrong.

 

[TheOtherVillainess]

TOV

 

[mickeyfan2]

You're hilarious. "Learn to deal with that" as if having a girl is like having a child born with a genetic disorder or a severe deformity. Guess someone told you girls were trouble, eh?

Or maybe it is her personal experience.

 

[yeartolate]

If we ever decide to have another child (and right now, we're not sure about that) and it turns out to be a girl, I will learn to deal with that and love her unconditionally just like I do DS. But I will really be praying for another boy. I don't see anything wrong with that.

TOV

Learn to "deal with" a child because they are a certain gender????

I can understand having a preference, but the "deal with" comment really is disgusting to me. That statement has too many issues to address and I don't think I could do it in a civil manner, so I will probably back off .

 

[TheOtherVillainess]

I just don't like the idea of having girls. Why is that so wrong, yeartolate?

TOV