Ethical Issues In Embryology

This essay will look at and discuss the basic concept of ethics and the current issue surrounding embryology. The technique of Embryology raises many controversial ethical questions such as is it morally acceptable to destroy a potential life to sustain a new life? Is it morally right to alter natural conception laws if the benefit is producing a child without a debilitating condition? Or is this technique crossing ethical boundaries and leaving the door open to genetically engineered babies often labelled designer babies. The essay will focus on the current ethical issue of a new pioneering IVF treatment also known as the “Three parent IVF” to help prevent a fatal degenerative genetic condition called mitochondria Disease. This essay will

Although the Nuffield Council on Bioethics and the Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) state the technique is safe some opponents may argue that the long term risks are unknown posing the question of certainty as to whether it inflicts lasting damage onto the child (Welcome trust 2012) In the case of Alana Saarinen she was one of the few people in the world born with three biological parents in a process of cytoplasmic transfer however due to later health concerns the technique was deemed unsafe and was retracted from practice (BBC, 2015). Secondly because the technique involves manipulating the germ line, it raises ethical issues over the unknown risks it could cause future generations who are therefore unable to provide consent to the procedure (Guardian, 2015). However parents who know what it is like to care for a child with this fatal disease, should be given the opportunity to make their own choice on whether they consider the benefits of the technique to outweigh and justify the unknown risks. (Guardian,

Just because the UK parliament and the Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority (HFEA) 2008 have approved the mitochondria transfer technique it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s ethically acceptable amongst society. As a Health care professional an embryologist has both a legal and moral obligation to follow and comply with their code of conduct. This can often present an issue if they do not agree that patient should be allowed to have this pioneering IVF technique if they are over a certain age For example Maria del Carmen Bousada de Lara from Spain conceived through IVF in 2006 and gave birth to two twin boys at the age of 66 she died in 2009 when her sons were only 2 and ½ years old (BBC, 2009). The right to found a family is a fundamental human right, the Universal declaration of human rights 1948 states that “Men and women of full age without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion have the right to marry and found a family”. An embryologist must comply and abide by their rules within their code of conduct which states “Not discriminate unfairly against patients, and treat each patient as an individual” This is also further reinforced under the ‘Protected Characteristics’ of the equality act