Abstract
While genetic modification can have many positive outcomes, it is generating many questions in today’s society about how moral it is.
“Genetic modification is the process of intentionally altering human genes for the purpose of producing offspring with genetic changes”(Dictionary.com, n.d.).
This could be anything from inserting, deleting or transporting genes and DNA sequences into early embryos as well as the introduction of artificial chromosomes into human gametes or zygotes. Genetically modifying the genes of children can make them stronger by removing life threatening diseases, meaning they could have a longer healthier life. Many argue that the negative issues of genetic modification outnumber any advantages it may have. A leading negative factor with genetic modification is the potential rise of designer babies. Designer babies are babies whose genetic makeup has been selected in order to delete a particular defect, or to ensure that a particular gene is present (dictionary.com, n.d.). This creates the potential for a new form of social inequality, discrimination and conflict.
Choosing Genetics:
The Negatives Associated with Choosing Genetics for your Children
There are many points of view regarding genetic modification and whether it is right or wrong. Advocates argue they are trying to improve children’s lives. They believe genetically modifying an embryo’s DNA could potentially reduce the risk of a child growing up with a dangerous or even fatal genetic disorder in their family. Opponents say that genetic modification is unnatural and that scientists are trying to play God. Researchers, doctors and other scientists are worried that parents might not be modifying their unborn child for the right reasons and ethical issues are at the center of the debate. Although genetic modifications do have positive impacts the negatives related, a rise of designer babies to create a particular type of child, ethical and moral issues of doing so, and the violation of the babies’ rights are far worse.
“Genetic modification is the process of intentionally altering human genes for the purpose of producing offspring with genetic changes” (dictionary.com, n.d.).
Genetic modification has many synonyms associated with it such as, genetic engineering, genetic enhancement, germline engineering, germline enhancement, germline therapy and many more but according to Resnik and Vorhaus,
“We use the term ‘genetic modification’ because it covers a wider range of cases than other terms, and because it does not assume a distinction between genetic therapy and genetic enhancement, one which is difficult to maintain, and which may not be as morally significant as is often assumed” (Resnik, 2006).
Designer Babies “are babies whose genetic makeup has been selected in order to eradicate a particular defect, or to ensure that a particular gene is present” (Dictionary.com, n.d.). The first designer baby was born on August 29th, 2000 (Esson, n.d.). Adam Nash was conceived through Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) and In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF) (Esson, n.d.). Adam was conceived for the purpose of saving his sister Molly’s life. “Molly was born with a rare genetic disorder called Fanconi anemia, which is characterized by severe bleeding and immune system deficiencies. When Adam was born, the blood from his umbilical cord and placenta were collected and transplanted into Molly” (Esson, n.d.). “That was her transplant, and that was all Molly ever needed to cure her leukemia and her bone marrow failure,” said Lisa Nash in an interview in 2008. Her procedure was a complete success and Adam’s donation was able to cure Molly completely. Adam continued to grow as a healthy child without developing the condition his sister had suffered with for six years. Now, several years later, Molly and Adam both live healthy lives and their parents are ecstatic that they underwent the treatment. The process of creating designer babies is still in the very early experimental stage and needs much more time and research to keep moving forward. According to Biomedical Genetics, “Genetics are not always a hundred percent sure, which means that it is very likely possible that error may come up at some point in the future in case of designer babies. Researchers worry that when they will do everything possible to eradicate any illness in the baby while modifying the genes, an accidental error could give rise to some new form of illness, something they may not be aware of how to treat” (Br., 2019).
Using genetic modification in this way to cure diseases in children is a positive output, but is it enough to offset the negatives that it creates?
Another positive effect of genetic modification is that it will increase life expectancy, have positive influences on the baby, and it alters their lifestyle earlier. By altering a baby’s genes, you could get rid of all the unhealthy genes so that your baby can grow up healthier. Therefore, it will help them live longer and healthier. By altering the lifestyle of a baby earlier Biomedical Genetics states, “Instead of influencing the child later in life, by designing a baby may help you create some similar types of influences but even before the baby is born” (Br., 2019). Instead of pushing your child to want to be better or to study more, you could already increase your child’s mental capabilities before they are even born. This would provide less stress on your child as well. Another reason genetic modification is so beneficial is because it can reduce the chances of genetic disorders. This increases your baby’s chances of survival during pregnancy and when they are born. Although there are many negative genetics does have its perks.
While the situation above with Adam and Molly is an excellent example of how genetic science is beneficial, designer babies created without a medical need is a negative example. A social gap is created due to only wealthy people and those with quality insurance being able to afford this medical procedure. The desire to create the “perfect child” potentially creates a gap in today’s society based on the ones who are wealthy enough to afford the procedure and the ones who are too poor to afford this opportunity. If the technology keeps evolving it could become realistic and a more accessible medical practice for even more people to want to do. This would create a divide between the ones who can afford the service and those that simply cannot afford it. Whereas the rich would be able to afford to be able to pick the traits in their offspring, while the lower income people would not be able to access the same options (Ly, 2011). Stated by Sarah Ly, “economic divisions may grow into genetic divisions, with social distinctions delineating enhanced individuals from unenhanced individuals” (Ly, 2011). The babies who are born as designer will feel more superior than those who are born naturally without any genetic modification. Many people believe that this could lead to a hostile environment.
Another primary problem with genetic modification is the moral and ethical issues that are associated with it. Designer babies Are a potential option that people approach parenthood to create children with preferred traits. Some people see this as playing God and tampering with what would occur naturally just, so they can create the perfect child. “The designer babies have thus been called the ‘future-we-should-not-want’ for each new reproductive technology or intervention” (Janssens, 2018). This way of producing offspring can take away from a child’s individual personality and could remove certain genes that could have been good for the baby’s development and growth. Another ethical concern with designer babies is the abortion side of the issue. Biomedical Genetics states, “It is almost the same as carrying out an abortion when you have plenty of choices to eliminate the unwanted ones. In some cases, the parents have also gone ahead and aborted the baby, depending on their reasons for creating the baby in the first place” (Br., 2019). Some parents will do it for the money they will get for donating the stem cells and not even think about the baby at all. This just goes to show how fixated people are on money nowadays.
Another issue scientist and many others have with genetic modification is how it could be a violation of your baby’s rights. When a person goes about choosing the genetics of a child they are pretty much choosing the life they will live. People essentially change the life and the mind of your child without getting their permission or giving them the option to choose. By making these choices for your child Biomedical Genetics states, “You will alter your baby’s mental, emotional and physical makeup for life, without your baby having any say in whether or not it is something your baby wanted or not” (Br., 2019). By doing this, we are treating our children as a scientific experiment, instead of being treated like a human being. By also using genetic modification it interferes with the person’s potential to make their own choices later in life. It increases “parental expectations and demands,” states Resnick (Resnik, 2006). This simply means the parents are modifying their child’s traits for how they want their child to live and not how the child wants to live their life. The parents are going to expect their child to carry out the genes they plant into their child even though the child might not like the life they are living.
Although genetic modifications have positive impacts the negatives such as a rise of designer babies, ethical and moral issues, and a violation of the baby’s rights are worse. The risk associated with designer babies can do more harm than good based on the facts that genetic engineers could put the baby at risk and potentially even lose them. With the moral and ethical side of the argument, parents are willing to abort their baby, to get money for the stem cells they donated. This gives the appearance of the parents only doing this to get money and not truly thinking about the life they are killing in the process.
References
- About Human Germline Gene Editing: Center for Genetics and Society. (n.d.). Retrieved October 22, 2019, from https://www.geneticsandsociety.org/internal-content/about-human-germline-gene-editing.
- Br. (2019, August 12). The Pros and Cons of Having a Designer Baby. Retrieved October 23, 2019, from https://explorebiotech.com/pros-cons-designer-baby/.
- Catalano, M. (2012). The Prospect of Designer Babies: Is it Inevitable? Retrieved October 22, 2019, from https://pitjournal.unc.edu/article/prospect-designer-babies-it-inevitable.
- Dictionary.com. (n.d.). Retrieved October 21, 2019, from https://www.dictionary.com/.
- Esson, A. (n.d.). Think Before You Speak: Designer Babies. Retrieved October 20, 2019, from http://www.frontlinegenomics.com/blog/11345/never-considered-myself-designer-baby/.
- Janssens, C. J. W. (2018, December 27). The Genetic Case Against Designer Babies. Retrieved October 20, 2019, from https://psmag.com/social-justice/designer-babies-are-not-likely-to-happen.
- Ly, S. (2011, March 31). The Embryo Project Encyclopedia. Retrieved October 22, 2019, from https://embryo.asu.edu/pages/ethics-designer-babies.
- Resnik, D. B., & Vorhaus, D. B. (2006, June 26). Genetic modification and genetic determinism. Retrieved October 22, 2019, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1524970/.
2019-11-18-1574040522