Well, we have fallen along way off the moral cliff in a very short time; from tossing away embryos with genetic defects for serious illness in infancy, to tossing them away because they are the wrong sex, to destroying those with a genetic propensity to adult onset cancer. And now, with the inevitability of sun in summer, embryos in Brave New Britain are be selected out if the future child would have…squinted. From the story:
Embryos are to be screened for a cosmetic defect for the first time in a British clinic. Doctors have been given permission to create a baby free from a genetic disorder which would have caused the child to have a severe squint.
The Bridge Centre family clinic, in London, has been licensed to treat a businessman and his wife to create the baby. Both the businessman and his father suffer from the condition, which causes the eyes only to look downwards or sideways.
Critics have said that the permission is another step on the road to creating only perfect-looking babies in the laboratory. The licence was granted by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) to Prof Gedis Grudzinskas, who believes the landmark ruling marks a shift away from granting licences only for life-threatening conditions.
He said: “We will increasingly see the use of embryo screening for severe cosmetic conditions.” He added that he would seek to screen for any genetic factor at all that would cause a family severe distress.
Notice that it isn’t even about the future born individual any more. But whether the family would feel stress. When asked if embryos with a propensity to a certain hair color would be selected out, the good brave new biotechnologist replied:
“[Hair colour] can be a cause of bullying which can lead to suicide. With the agreement of the HFEA, I would do it.”
Children are the new puppies.
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