by Ann Lormand-Koch

Created on: May 25, 2009

EUGENICS OR DESIGNER BABIES

In our modern age we have come to a point in time where we can not only decide we when want to have a baby (even after menopause) or how many we want (IVF with selective downsizing or multiple fertilized embryos allowed to go to term), but we now can decide what color eyes (s)he will have, the intelligence level to give him a heads up on others, how tall or short, even the sex.

Taken a step further, we can screen for more than 900+ genetic disorders according to the National Institute of Health. If you so chose, for $89.00 you can do a home test for DNA screening. What was state of the art ten years ago is as common as new reality shows on television. The concern I have with all of this forward movement we have in making genetic selections is in regards to really knowing the future consequences of our actions. I feel we are moving so fast we forget to stop and look at the big picture.

In the United States today, 20% of couples that delay pregnancy for whatever reason will end up with a permanent delay of infertility as the time frame to have their child has past them by. This fact increases the number of couples looking for assistance in having a family when they had planned. Medicine is a business that depends on clients that can pay for the services offered. Many couples have waited to have children until they are secure in their jobs, have money saved up and lifestyle they feel is right for children. Now more than ever before the savings is used to help get the couple pregnant, not just for after the pregnancy. If you have only a few chances to have a baby, and need help from an outside source, you want to make sure you get what you really want. Many people are now looking into genetically designed babies. They are choosing to take the most desired traits between the egg donor and sperm donor (not always the mother and father raising this child) and match them up for a baby with a genetic makeup that is the best they can have. By choosing certain traits over others (blue eyes vs. green) are we telling the world we believe someone with the undesirable traits are not up to our standards. This rings of eugenics, breeding for desirable traits, brought to the forefront during WWII with Nazi Germany.

Genetic counselors are used more and more these days to help couples understand the results of any genetic screenings done either before they get pregnant or after the pregnancy is assured. What we need to keep in mind

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