The Fertility Institute: Original goals of PGD and IVF

Designer Babies, to design undeveloped embryos with the specific genes that the parents desire, that the parents always wanted their child to have and to sustain it all their life. But at the very first second that the technique of Designer Babies was developed, scientist only have one goal, and that is to maintain the survival/essential genes in species, such that that type of creature would not be extinct or they would have a higher probability of living. So primarily, the real problem that Designer Babies is trying to solve is the case in which babies are born with imperfect genes that might cause them their lives, thus this technique was generally intended to help genetically-illed species to live longer.

There was a case studied in the fertility community, which allows parents to screen their embryos at the organization’s cost. This not only allow them to sensor the embryos for their sex and potential diseases, but also for very benign characteristics (i.e. color of eye, skin, hair, etc.). The company known as The Fertility Institutes offer as many couples as possible to spend their total savings on customizing their baby, as science today makes it possible to conceive without worrying what the baby would look and act like really. Thus the use of IVF has enabled large numbers of embryos to be screened for detrimental and even fatal diseases, before it is then implanted to the surrogate or biological mother. So IVF is not so bad after all, as it aided literally surplus amounts of couples from having their babies to sidestep some of the world’s most deadly diseases.

To illustrate, there was the couple, Cindy and John Whitley. Their 9 moths-old child dies, because of the incurable disease in her spine. The analysis basically states that this couple has a 1 n 4 chance of conceiving a child with this spinal muscular atrophy disease. So to avoid risking the odds, they decided to use PGD. Which works in corporation with IVF. It stands for Preimplantation Genetic Disease. This is to test and observe the condition of the embryo’s chromosomes, watching out for any disorder in the pairs and types of chromosomes. PGD allows parents to manipulate more than just hampering the disease to develop, but also to predetermine the gender of the baby. So absolutely healthy and fertile couples from all parts of the globe came to doctors, slightly ignoring the expense and discomfort of conceiving in a test tube. All for changing the sex o the baby if they had the opportunity to.

Another statistics, shown from the case in which Dr. Steinberg, Director at The Fertility Institutes, that most gender selections cost about $18,400. Although IVF is originally to help parents who are infertile and in big hopes to have children, 70% of his clients are completely able to have children in the natural way. All they want was to determine the sex of their baby. Soon, it is said the the institute will open doors for couple if they wish to change the eye color, complexion, and other physical traits before their embryos are implanted.

IVF. Inserting sperm into the egg, in order to fertilise it. Done in the test-tubes of laboratories.

The unconventional way of conceiving--through PGD and IVF working side by side. In order to solely deliver babies with imperfect traits, or to purposely insert desired traits to the embryo.

Video: A woman named Ellie had a couple of miscarriages, and then decides to use IVF

What are Designer Babies?

1. What is the application of Designer Babies all about?

In today's world, the technology is advanced enough to examine undeveloped embryos in the womb. Authorizing the expectant mother, her family, and her baby doctor to determine if there are any genetic disorders , and if there are some, then the parents will be able to choose to either insert enhancing genes or just directly hand-picked the healthy embryos only. 

But the problem is that, there would be a possible chance that in the future that many parents would use genetic technology to alter the traits that the embryos have, and choose only the desired characteristics. So 'Designer Babies' is a term used by journalist of this predicted scenario, but it is not commonly used among scientists.

2. What are some benefits of Designer Babies?

The main advantage of Designer Babies was of course the fact that species are more likely to survive and thrive longer and also live happier, giving content to themselves and the surrounding habitat. For example, many goats and cows have been genetically altered so that they would produce more mil. And then mice have been injected with a serum that would cause Alzheimer's disease, and hopefully find a cure by observing the tested subject. 

And when parents are allowed to modify their embryos, another advantage is that the family would be able to eradicate a genetic disease in several offsprings. Designer babies might also be conducted to help diseased people, probably for organ donors. For example, when a mother has Leukemia, a disorder in its blood marrow. And unfortunately both parent's gametes are no match for the child's blood marrow. So instead, through IVF, it could create the perfect match for the child's marrow disorder.

3. What can be done to the application of Designer Babies to enhance its productivity in the future (limitations)?

Some of the limitations of Designer Babies are that it needs to find a way in which a very little or no embryos at all, are being destroyed as that means murdering innocent babies that hasn't even go the chance to come out to this world. Then, IVF also needs to find a profitable method to decrease its costly price, so that its open to a wider rank of people. Meaning that less fortunate couples could also have the chance to raise children without the natural way of conceiving. 

4. What issues (social, economic, ethical, political, cultural) are related to the application of Designer Babies

A few ethical issues of Designer Babies includes the fact that it is illegal in religious aspects, as although one human life might be created through IVF, a lot of unborn babies are wasted and discarded. Though those unused foetus might be frozen for lab purposes, it is still not created through the love of mariage as God intends it to be. Another ethical issue of decigning babies, is that when sperm is implanted in the womb, in hopes of some of the embryos to develop. Instead of just one baby being carried, surplus amount of them will develop. This led to the process of selective reduction, in which unborn babies are aborted.

In the social aspect, the issue is similar as the one above, as the destruction of embryos are often considered as immoral, thinking that many married couples are still genetically or financially unable to have children. Destroying the embryos would also mean that it is more likely yo have some sort of disability/disorder either in their physical traits or intelectuall capability.

Paraphrasing the paragraphs:

The facts below are about (choose one):

The ethical issues of Designer Babies

Original paragraph:                                                       

When doctors used certain procedures to help infertile women give birth, or determine whether or not a child has a certain disease, they were seen as heroes.  Being able to see whether or not a child has a disease would give the parents time to prepare for the road ahead, and now doctors are working on fixing certain degenerative diseases through genetic alterations. However, when those same doctors start saying that paying customers can change the sex of their child, people began questioning the business.                 These certain doctors now say that within 10 years, they believe they’ll be able to change eye color and have an 80% accuracy rate. They also think that in the future they’ll be able to give the child “athletic abilities” or make them more academic. There are many ethical problems behind the hopes for these procedures.

Key ideas:

Doctors are perceived as life savers when they pre-acknowledge if there are genetic disorders in an embryo When parents know beforehand that their children is suffering from degenerative diseases caused by genetic articles, they can prepare for what's to come But the real ethics of this programme sparked when doctors announce that they also can change or alter the sex of the baby In the future, doctors promised to be able to make an attempt in changing the significant genetic traits and with an 80% success rate And when babies can be injected with genes and DNAs that could make the child more intelligent and athletic, that is where the ethical line stands

  

Source in MLA:

	"The Ethics of "Designer Babies"" The Ethics of Designer Babies. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Oct. 2014. <http://designerbabiesethics.wordpress.com/>.

 Paraphrasing:

The real ethical issues of Designer Babies or in the processes acquainted with IVF, has been come up when doctors say that they could change the sex of the baby, and also inject specific desired traits to the embryos. For example to make them academically stronger and more athletic in sports. Thus, nowadays doctors that has the ability and will to do such actions are perceived as life savers when they pre-acknowledge or discover if the cild has genetic disorders or not. To further elaborate, when parents know beforehand that their children is suffering from degenerative diseases caused by genetic articles, they can prepare for what's to come.