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Critics Blast 'Designer Baby' Clinic

LA Doc offers defect-screening technique to pick eye color

By Ambreen Ali,  Newser User

Posted Mar 2, 2009 1:39 AM CST

(Newser) – The founders of an embryo technology that identifies birth defects are furious that a leading Los Angeles fertility clinic is using their discovery to enable couples to choose baby traits like hair and eye color. The role of pre-implantation genetic diagnosis—which identifies thousands of characteristics in a three-day embryo—was intended to help screen out debilitating conditions, not create $18,000 "designer babies," they tell the Telegraph.

"I'm totally against this," said one of the scientists. "My goal is to screen embryos to help couples have healthy babies free of genetic diseases. Traits are not diseases." But the head of the fertility clinic, which already offers gender selection, calls the "cosmetic medicine" breakthrough "incredibly" exciting. "I live in LA and everyone here wants to have a straight nose and high cheekbones," he said.

New technology allows would-be parents to screen embryos for physical traits.
New technology allows would-be parents to screen embryos for physical traits.   (Shutter stock)
We cannot escape the fact that science is moving forward, said a fertility doctor offering his clients trait selection among embryos.
"We cannot escape the fact that science is moving forward," said a fertility doctor offering his clients trait selection among embryos.   (Shutter stock)
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CNN reports on the clinic that promises to provide trait selection to parents. The institute already offers gender selection.   (CNN Video)

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It's ridiculous and irresponsible. There are thousands of desperate couples who have no hope without this technology, and here we are talking about this." - Mark Hughes, one of the fathers of pre-implantation genetic diagnosis

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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 5 comments
Guest
Mar 3, 2009 5:23 AM CST
Did anyone seriously think this was NOT going to happen? Does anyone really think that right now someone is trying to clone a dinosaur?
Guest
Mar 3, 2009 2:05 AM CST
If it can be done, it will be, because that's the same as picking a marriage partner: a person who has charcteristics/traits you want to see in your children eg. a sense of humor or tallness. This is a variation on an age old theme.
mockingbird
Mar 2, 2009 4:14 AM CST
Wow. >>But the head of the fertility clinic, which already offers gender selection, calls the "cosmetic medicine" breakthrough "incredibly" exciting. "I live in LA and everyone here wants to have a straight nose and high cheekbones," he said. <<< Are we sure this isn't an Onion article? I mean, really? WTF?!?

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