Would you genetically "engineer" your baby if you could?

[Charade]

Watching GMA and a segment on the future.

They're talking about the ability to choose many characteristics such as hair color, eye color, physical skills, mind skills and such. Also with the prevention of diseases.

Aside from the prevention of a disease, would you do any of the other things?

 

[mickeyfan2]

No I wouldn't.

 

[XYSRUS]

That is so wrong on so many levels....we could go on forever.

 

[Pop Daddy]

sounds apealing but also kind of creepy huh

 

[Caradana]

I'll play devil's advocate ...

I like the randomness of physicality, features, hair and eye color ... I think that's one of the aspects of creating a child that's most beautiful. But if I could create a situation where I increased the probability that the child would be extremely bright ... I'd well consider it.

 

[ADisneygirl]

Aside from disease prevention, no way would I do it.

 

[Beth76]

No I wouldn't.

 

[SwedishMeatball]

I think it's wrong, but unfortunately I can see this becoming acceptable in the future.

 

[chobie]

I would definately engineer a daughter to have big breasts so she can work at Hooters and rake in the tips.

Seriously though, I would do it to avoid diseases, mental illness, things like that.

 

[Keli]

I don't know for sure what I would do. I definitely wouldn't even be tempted by things like eye color or hair color, what about height or weight?
It just so happens that I and my dh are of average height but what if we weren't? What if one of us was exceptionally short? Would I want to ensure our child got their height from the taller parent?
What about weight? Would I want to ensure our child got their weight from the slimmer parent?
It's a slippery slope IMHO, and I'm not thrilled with the idea in any form since I firmly believe it will move from prevention of disease to cosmetic issues in a VERY short time frame unless it proves harder scientifically to take care of cosmetic issues than disease prevention.

 

[disney4us2002]

After 3 sons, I would probably consider sex selection if we had chosen to have another. It would have been nice to have a daughter but I wouldn't trade any of my boys nor did we want four.

I can see sex selection being a factor for people. Physical traits weren't that important to me personally.

I'm surprised noone has mentioned possibly choosing orientation since many now believe that a person is genetically designed with orientation.

 

[texasthree]

never, not even for gender selection.

 

[Chloe'sMom]

I agree with Carla - I can see gender selection being a bigger issue then physical traits. After all have you seen how many books are out there on ways to insure the gender of your baby? I have a friend who is testing the theory now and only having "boy sex" since they already have a girl . After I got pregnant my SIL went nuts asking me what day we conceived on, what day I ovulated and so forth in trying to figure out if I was having a boy or a girl. She has 2 boys and didn't want me to have a girl because she wanted one. She is extremely jealous of us.

Anyway - no I wouldn't have choosen any physical traits. I prayed my daughter would be healthy and blessed with my DH's hair and eyes - which she is. I also prayed she'd have my teeth (I have straight teeth and no braces - I don't even want to think of whay my in-laws paid to have my husband's teeth straightened out). I figure I'd leave that all in God's and Natures hands to give us a beautiful baby - and we certainly have one.

I would use it though to eliminate disease.

~Amanda

 

[87Heel]

It's weird to start hearing about this because we've been joking for years that we put in a special order/upgrade request for DD13's blue eyes! People always comment about them like it's something we chose for her! Since I have brown eyes and DH has blue, we knew that we did not have any guarantees on eye color!

 

[highland3]

I'd go back and remove the grumpy monster genes from DS!!!!

 

[LuvDuke]

Watching GMA and a segment on the future.

They're talking about the ability to choose many characteristics such as hair color, eye color, physical skills, mind skills and such. Also with the prevention of diseases.

Aside from the prevention of a disease, would you do any of the other things?

Does eyesight count? That would be the only thing I would genetically engineer.

Other than that, NO.

 

[MamaLema]

I'm completely against it.

I have 3 boys and have always wanted a girl, and I still wouldn't do it even for gender selection.

 

[JennyMominRI]

No way

 

[mla2177]

If I can add a mute button!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[fabshelly]

Could I change the gene that makes her allergic to cleaning her room?

I might if I could save her from a life-threatening disease - and maybe even her life-threatening allergy to cats. She adores animals but if she's near a cat too long, it's ER and breathing machine for her.