Designer Babies: A Good Thing or a Bad Thing?

What are designer babies? The term "designer baby" refers to a baby whose genetic makeup has been artificially selected by genetic engineering combined with in vitro fertilization to ensure the presence or absence of particular genes or characteristics (actionbioscience.org). Meaning people can "design" their own babies to their liking from physical appearance to talent. Designing babies may include Genetic processes such as IVF (In Vitro Fertilization) and IGM (Inheritable Genetic Modification). In IVF the ova are removed from the ovaries and are fertilized outside the body. This process a major treatment to infertility. Inheritable genetic modification (IGM, also called germline engineering) means changing the genes passed on to future generations. The genetic changes would be made in eggs, sperm or early embryos; modified genes would appear not only in the person who developed from that gamete or embryo, but also in all succeeding generations. Even though this method is not tested with humans, it will potentially be a good method for designing babies or generations of family.

Designer babies do bring a lot of advantages to the society. If people were able to design their own babies the society would look way better. Society in future would also become stronger as people can design their babies to be great leaders. Society would also be more healthier as people can design babies that have no diseases, like cancer for example. 


While being able to design your own baby has its advantages it will also have some disadvantages. What if the technology of designer babies were used in the wrong way? Throughout time there has been those people who strive for power. The power to govern over the whole world.  If that were the case, these designer babies would be used as tools for that purpose. Those seeking for power would most likely design their babies as great soldiers so by the time they grow up, all of them would be in an army serving that one person. Continuing in the research of designer babies would probably lead to another war. A war that consists of arms race not for weapons or vehicles, but designer babies! 


From a religious standpoint, the idea of designer babies is also wrong. By approving of designing  your own baby you are taking the job that is only meant for one being, and that is God. God is the only one who's supposed to design and bless these babies with talents. 


Even though designer babies are a great accomplishment we people should stop and think if this kind of discovery would affect our moral values and think of the different ways a designer baby can be used.

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Blogs I commented on:
Creating the "perfect child"
Designer Babies