Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Designer babies cons essay
Essays on designer babies
Essays on designer babies
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Designer Babies
If it seems hard choosing what features to put on a new computer, then imagine how hard it would be to choose them for a child. The options could be endless, from hair color to what activities the child will be good at. Some people think designer babies are a good way to make the baby they really want. However, designing a baby is unethical and should not be used for anything but medical purposes only. Therefore, genetic engineering for designer babies should be regulated. Admittedly, some people believe that choosing the sex of their child will help avoid many abortions across the world. They also believe that designer baby technology is opening many new doors. “We 're unraveling our own blueprint and beginning to tinker
…show more content…
As soon as they start they won’t be able to stop. “Once you start testing for some genes, it 's tempting to start testing for others” (Miller). Researchers will start with treating disabilities with genetic engineering, then realize how simple it is to alter other parts. For example, they could change hair and eye color or make them tall and skinny. Furthermore, traits are not the worst danger either. “Screening for cosmetic traits is only the tip of the iceberg… we now allow deaf parents to select for deaf offspring—will we allow straight parents to select for straight children, and gay parents for gay children” Altering a baby 's intelligence and emotions could be dangerous. As a result, designer baby technology needs to be limited for medical use …show more content…
The children might as well be named soccer player, soup chef, or whatever the parents choose they want their child to be good at. This could ultimately lead to a situation where each child is programmed to do certain tasks, and is unable to do anything else…” (Thadani). The children won’t be able to try other things because they weren 't programmed to do or be good at something else. In addition, the children might be programmed with the skills but there may not be programming for passion. “... The freedom of the child to choose a profession of his choice in the future, will also be severely diminished. The ethical repercussions of this are not very pleasant…” (Thadani). They may be able to do something very well but who knows if they are going to like it. For those reasons, designer baby technologies need to be banned in order to protect the
A person's individuality begins at conception and develops throughout life. These natural developments can now be changed through genetically engineering a human embryo. Through this process, gender, eye and hair color, height, medical disorders, and many more qualities can be changed. I believe genetically engineering a human embryo is corrupt because it is morally unacceptable, violates the child's rights, and creates an even more divided society.
Suter, Sonia M. "A Brave New World Of Designer Babies?." Berkeley Technology Law Journal 22.2 (2007): 897-969. Academic Search Complete. Web. 3 May 2014.
Often times referred to as designer babies, I find this topic very interesting and believe that it should be discussed more. As for my stance on the topic, I think that it is a great idea but, however, only to an extent. I think that if we are capable of changing a baby's genes so that they will not develop a deadly or potentially harmful disease, then I am all for it. On the other hand, however, I am not supportive of parents who want to genetically modify their baby for beauty purposes. We should leave our appearances up to mother nature. I do not think it is right to change genes for appearance whether it be making teeth whiter, eyes and hair a specific color, or changing their genes responsible for height. Personally, the fatal disease, Alzheimer's runs in my family and I would love to be able to prevent my children from potentially carrying the gene. While it would be nice to be able to “design” my baby, the surprise is so much better. Not knowing whether your child will have blue or brown eyes and blonde or brown hair is a wonderful surprise in my opinion. The somewhat randomness makes us all unique. We should allow them to grow up while not having certain expectations following them around for their entire
However, with genetic engineering this miracle of like is taken and reduced to petty “character creation” picking and choosing what someone else thinks should “make them special”. An unborn child that undergoes genetic treatments in this fashion is known as a designer baby (“Should Parents Be Permitted to Select the Gender of Their Children?”). By picking and choosing the traits of a child these designer babies bear similarities to abortion, choosing to get rid of the original child in favor of a “better” one. It is also unfair to deprive a child of their own life. By removing the element of chance and imputing their own preferences, children become treated more as an extension of their parents than as living beings with their own unique life. Parents could redirect a child’s entire life by imposing their wishes before they are even born, choosing a cookie cutter tall, athletic boy over a girl with her own individual traits, or any other choice that would redirect a child’s
After the discovery of genetically altering an embryo before implantation, “designer babies” was coined to describe a child genetically altered “to ensure specific intellectual and cosmetic characteristics.” (“Designer Babies” n.p.). This procedure combines genetic engineering and In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) to make sure certain characteristics are absent or present in an embryo (Thadani n.p.). The procedure also includes taking an embryo to be pre-implementation genetically diagnosed (PGD), another procedure that doctors use to screen the embryos (Stock n.p.). An embryo’s DNA goes through multiple tests to obtain an analysis of the embryo, which will list all the components of the embryo including genetic disorders and physical traits such as Down syndrome, blue eyes, and brown hair, for instance (Smith 7). Although the use of PGD is widely accepted by the “reproductive medical community” and the modifying of disorders or diseases is to a degree, once the characteristics are no longer health related “72% disapprove of the procedure” (“Designer Babies” n.p.). At this point the parents make decisions that would alter their child’s life forever and this decision is rather controversial in the U...
In recent years, great advancement has been made in medicine and technology. Advanced technologies in reproduction have allowed doctors and parents the ability to screen for genetic disorders (Suter, 2007). Through preimplantation genetic diagnosis, prospective parents undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) can now have their embryo tested for genetic defects and reduce the chance of the child being born with a genetic disorder (Suter, 2007). This type of technology can open the door and possibility to enhance desirable traits and characteristics in their child. Parents can possibly choose the sex, hair color and eyes or stature. This possibility of selecting desirable traits opens a new world of possible designer babies (Mahoney,
Most people agree, in general, that designer babies are taking over and it is it’s a good thing. A designer baby is a human embryo that parents set , to produce desirable traits. According to Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection , Fertility Institutes in Los Angeles offered to let parents select their children’s hair and eye color. Crazy to think you’d be able to build your own baby. The process of creating this designer baby would be embryos modified to predetermine intellect , physical prowess , and beauty. People may question designer babies but “if you think women have the right to control their bodies , then they should be able to make this choice” right? (Citation?) There is a lot of science into creating a designer baby.
What do one think of when they hear the words “Designer Babies”? A couple designing their own baby of course, and it’s become just that. Technology has made it possible for there to be a way for doctors to modify a babies characteristics and its health. Genetically altering human embryos is morally wrong, and can cause a disservice to the parents and the child its effecting.
Picture a young couple in a waiting room looking through a catalogue together. This catalogue is a little different from what you might expect. In this catalogue, specific traits for babies are being sold to couples to help them create the "perfect baby." This may seem like a bizarre scenario, but it may not be too far off in the future. Designing babies using genetic enhancement is an issue that is gaining more and more attention in the news. This controversial issue, once thought to be only possible in the realm of science-fiction, is causing people to discuss the moral issues surrounding genetic enhancement and germ line engineering. Though genetic research can prove beneficial to learning how to prevent hereditary diseases, the genetic enhancement of human embryos is unethical when used to create "designer babies" with enhanced appearance, athletic ability, and intelligence.
While people may have little insight into the new developments of designer babies, science has explored and expanded genetic editing. “Manipulating genes is legal”. According to Chinese scientist who created such technology. (in slide show). In 1994, the argument was to have equal rights so the poor get the same treatment like the rich. (embryo.aus). in adjacent to the statistics, some studies indicate Americans would like to know if their child would develop Alzheimer’s, or cancer (put statistics in a slide show) . (genetic technology pg 6,7). The Harvard STAT and Harvard T.H. Chan school of public health found that people now have mixed and apparently not firm vies on designer babies. The outcome was split between whether the federal government should fund, research on editing genes( polls).. For instance, The food and drug administration centers for Medicaid, Medicare services, and the federal trade commission regulates genetic testing and research in the US. There is no law forbidding genetic manipulation in humans. (site this). There are many great reasons why designer babies should be valid. With new technology curing diseases is an awesome way to use (PGD), it is possible to save a human from being
Most parents have the tendency to want what is best for their children so they are in the best condition possible. Designer babies have become a popular topic today. Even though designer babies are in effect to create a parents “perfect” child, still comes with many concerns. Designer babies can have both negative and positive effects on society.
Imagine a parent walking into what looks like a conference room. A sheet of paper waits on a table with numerous questions many people wish they had control over. Options such as hair color, skin color, personality traits and other physical appearances are mapped out across the page. When the questions are filled out, a baby appears as he or she was described moments before. The baby is the picture of health, and looks perfect in every way. This scenario seems only to exist in a dream, however, the option to design a child has already become a reality in the near future. Parents may approach a similar scenario every day in the future as if choosing a child’s characteristics were a normal way of life. The use of genetic engineering should not give parents the choice to design their child because of the act of humans belittling and “playing” God, the ethics involved in interfering with human lives, and the dangers of manipulating human genes.
“It 's not easy as “I want to buy and egg,” states, the director of the Donor Egg Bank, Brigid Dowd. “Not everyone realizes what 's involved, and then when they hear the cost, many just pass out.” (CGS: Designing the $100,000 Baby,” par. 13) It is a fact that having certain traits are valuable, so this shows that the mere modification used on the designer baby, the more the cost. “If you are too rigid or become too obsessed with finding the perfect image you have in mind, the choice can become more difficult,” says Dowd. (“CGS: Designing the $100,000 Baby,”par. 16) The practice of human genetic modification will not be fair because only the wealthy will have enough money to spend on designing a baby. Therefore, the wealthy will have much more advantages such as longer, healthier, and successful lives. If only people of high class are able to afford designer babies, it will cause an even greater inequality between the rich and the poor (“The Ethics of Designer Babies”). It will also create a society based on “Social Darwinism”- The survival of the fittest. If creating designer babies will cause more inequalities and Social Darwinism, why should we allow this practice? (“The ethics of Designer Babies”)
Parents all have the tendency to want what is best for their children so that they can be in a perfect condition. Designer babies have become a popular topic today. Even though designer babies can be used to create a parent’s perfect child, many still have concerns. Designer babies can have both negative and positive effects; however, reports have only showed them having negative effects on our society. Doctors all believe that designing a baby can not only put the baby at risk, however, also our future society. The process of creating designer babies has not yet been reassured, which have only left doctors and others afraid of going through with this process. Designing a baby may seem easy, however the effects that these babies will bring, can only harm our society.
The concept of designer babies is a highly disputed topic. Some say that it is mainly beneficial because it can enhance and cure, but some would say otherwise because they see it as unethical and ultimately causing problems within society. Most parents would want the best for their child, so ‘improving’ them or ‘making them better’ makes sense. Which school a child goes to and which hobbies they take part in can be choices that a parent makes, which in turn hopefully makes the child’s life better. Genetic engineering could become a common practice and be another choice for parents to make, but is it just going too far?