Design-a-Baby? No, thanks.
Posted
September 28, 2006 at
1:35 am by
Cristina
Now that we???¬??re trying for Baby #2, I???¬??ve been asked more than once whether I???¬??m hoping for a boy or a girl.
Here???¬??s my politically correct answer: I don???¬??t care either way, just as long as the baby is healthy.
Here???¬??s my honest answer: I reeeeeeealy want a girl.
Of course, having a healthy baby is my priority, and I will love him or her the exact?? same way?? no matter what, but I would be lying if I said that I don???¬??t have a preference. Since we may only have two children, and since we already have a son, I can???¬??t help but hope for a girl this time. We may even go so far as to try a few of Dr. Shettle???¬??s tricks for conceiving a girl.??
While we’re on the topic,?? today I read this article and it got me wondering: How far is too far to go in determining the sex of a baby? Should we use advances in science to help us select the gender of our babies for non-medical reasons? Because now we can.
Through preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) scientists can perform tests on embryos to determine gender prior to implantation in the uterus. In most cases, PGD is used to detect serious genetic disorders prior to implantation, but a growing number of fertility clinics?? are now offering PGD?? as a way for couples to determine the sex of their child for non-medical reasons.?? ?? In fact,?? a recent survey of 190 fertility clinics found that ???¬?a whopping 42 percent of clinics that offer PGD said they had done so for non-medically related sex selection.???¬??
Uh, is it just me, or does this raise some major moral and ethical issues? I hate to use the overused?? ???¬?slippery slope???¬?? metaphor, but this is a slippery slope don???¬??t you think? I mean, first we???¬??re determining the gender of our babies and next we???¬??ll be determining their hair color, skin color, eye color, height???¬?¦.where will it end? Can you say eugenics anyone?
There have been many concerns raised regarding these so-called ???¬?designer babies???¬??. There is the fear of creating a ???¬?super-race???¬?? of people who will discriminate against those who are ???¬?genetically inferior???¬??. There is the moral concern of creating and killing healthy embryos in search for the ???¬?perfect???¬?? baby. There is fear that playing around with gene structures could negatively affect the gene pool. Frankly, the whole thing scares the bejeesus out of me.
So design-a-baby? No, thanks. I think I???¬??ll stick with?? Dr. Shettle???¬??s Method for now. The only downside is that having a female?? orgasm during procreation apparently?? reduces the chances of conceiving a girl. So, hmmmm, maybe trying for another boy wouldn???¬??t be so bad after all.
Tags: designer babies, ethics, gender, News & Politics
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26 Responses to “Design-a-Baby? No, thanks.”
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1. mad muthas said:
September 28, 2006 @ 3:05 am | Quote
hello there - i share you dislike of the ’slippery slope’ concept (especially in this context - but let’s not go there), but am happy to pass on a tip that may be useful. apparently, fighter pilots father a higher proportion of daughters than any other profession. now, all you have to ask yourself is, just how much do you want a daughter? (and where is the nearest airbase)
2. Jessica Carlson said:
September 28, 2006 @ 6:50 am | Quote
I’ve heard that China is having a horrible time with their drastically imbalanced genders. My guess is that they’re having a hard time reproducing with little women to choose from.
3. Guinevere Meadow said:
September 28, 2006 @ 7:17 am | Quote
This stuff scares me, too! While I’ll be the first to admit that advances in medical technology have saved many a mom and baby’s life, I think all too often in our society we ABUSE the technology at our disposal. How is selecting the traits of your child any different than murdering those “embryos” who don’t meet the “standard?” Those of us (and by that I mean me,) who believe in pro-life consider the “termination” of ANY embryo, whether it be inside the mother or in a petri dish can not condone such behavior.
4. jen said:
September 28, 2006 @ 9:39 am | Quote
it is a freaky thing - i happen to know someone who is considering it…i couldn’t imagine it myself - sometimes too much choice is really not a good thing.
5. Catherine said:
September 28, 2006 @ 9:47 am | Quote
I can remember when my mother was freaked out that I could find out the sex of my baby by ultrasound. Time sure is a changing. And I’m with you… if Dr. Shettle’s way can’t make it happen, then it ain’t happenin’.
Great post as always, Cristina.
6. Prescott said:
September 28, 2006 @ 10:08 am | Quote
I don’t have a problem with it. First, the high number of PGDs for sex selection you quoted were referring to women undergoing IVF in the first place, a relatively small number. It also only says 42 percent *have done it at some time*, not that 42 percent of mothers are having it done. And no responsible doctor would prescribe IVF *solely* for the reason of choosing the sex, not to mention it is very cost prohibitive. I think the vast majority will always choose the free, fun way of makin’ babies. As I understand it, IVF is *not* a real pleasant experience, I can’t imagine flocks of women wanting to go through it just for blue eyes.
And if the technology can eliminate genetic diseases? I’m all for it.
7. tori said:
September 28, 2006 @ 10:16 am | Quote
Here is the thing, when I was pregnant with my first, I was so happy it was a girl because I AM a girl and know what to do with them. When I was pregnant with the twins and found out one was a girl, I really really hoped the other one would be a girl too. He was a boy. I love him with all my heart and am so happy to have him. Then I got pregnant with our last baby. I still wanted another girl. He is a boy, and I can not imagine anyone more perfect than him (and all my kids). If I had chosen, I would have missed out on having the sweet loving boys I have. I am so thankful I didn’t have a choice in what sex they were because I would have chosen wrong! Now if it were for medical reasons, I think I would be ok with it, but not just for choosing what I wanted because I didn’t even know what I really wanted until I had it.
8. Megan said:
September 28, 2006 @ 10:46 am | Quote
It also raises the question of what do you do with the children you thought were (and wanted to be) one sex, but turned out to be another? We were told at our 5-month ultrasound that we were having a girl. We reeeeeally wanted a girl too and were VERY happy. At an ultrasound one week before delivery, we were told that we were NOT having a girl, but a boy!!! And 5-month gestation is a lot later and more sure than the pre-implantation. We are SOOOO happy with our little man, but I wonder about those people who had chosen an embryo because they thought it was one gender. I agree with you, gender is something to leave to nature.
9. Cristina said:
September 28, 2006 @ 11:26 am | Quote
Prescott: thanks for your comment. I did not mean to imply that 42% of women are having PGD done to select the gender of their baby. My read of the article is that 42% of clinics surveyed that offer PGD will do it for non-medical reasons - that is, they offer PGD to couples outside of any need for IVF or testing for genetic diseases. I guess I would have to read the actual survey results (couldn’t find it quickly online) in order to verify what the CNN article says.
However, even if the actual number of clinics that do PGD for non-medical reasons is *small* compared to the total number of clinics out there, I still think it’s significant that ANY clinics are doing it just for gender selection. And there are clinics that offer these services purely for non-medical reasons. Baby Center’s fact sheet “Choosing Your Baby’s Sex: What Scientists Have to Say” actually links to three of them.
10. something blue said:
September 28, 2006 @ 11:47 am | Quote
It has been suggested that for making a girl that the man should reduce his sperm count. This means lots of sex before trying for conception. So get busy!
Of course, there is the Chinese gender chart but that didn’t work for us.
The outcome most definitely affects the rest of your life. I like the role of the dice.
11. Prescott said:
September 28, 2006 @ 12:40 pm | Quote
“I did not mean to imply that 42% of women are having PGD done to select the gender of their baby.”
I know you didn’t, I was just making clear why I felt that the 42% wasn’t as significant as it looks at first read.
“they offer PGD to couples outside of any need for IVF or testing for genetic diseases.”
Of course I have zero experience, but I’m assuming you can’t just march in and get IVF without a doctor consultation, just like any major medical procedure?
12. Waya said:
September 28, 2006 @ 12:42 pm | Quote
This reminds me of the movie “Gattaca” which has the same premise of “super babies” and non super babies. And IT IS SCARY!! I too want another girl so that my Sophia will have a sister to grow up with, I’ve used the “Chinese gender calendar” on the web, it’s a dice throw but that’s as far as I will go. I say, let’s leave the gender picking to the higher power above. At what point do we stop?
13. Jenn said:
September 28, 2006 @ 12:47 pm | Quote
Science is wonderful when it is used correctly. I personally do not believe in this “screening” of unborn children in anyway.
when I was pregnant they offered me the test to see if our baby was down syndrome. “why would that matter” I quized the doctor.
“you may want to have an abortion if the test is positive.” she replied calmly.
I was sick inside and this time it wasn’t morning sickness. How could people be so cruel? No matter what sex, disablity, or problem, I want my children the way god intended. God is perfect, but we are not. With that come some “malfunctions” if you will.
As any parent of a disable child if they would go back and just not have them. You’ll be hard pressed to find one!
Great thoughts, glad you shared and very well written.
14. Andrea said:
September 28, 2006 @ 1:35 pm | Quote
“And if the technology can eliminate genetic diseases? IΓ’β¬β’m all for it.”
Well, but here’s the thing:
1. It doesn’t eliminate genetic diseases, it elminates people with genetic diseases. It’s not a cure; the fetuses aren’t being ‘fixed.’ They are being terminated. I am pro-choice and I believe a woman should have the right to terminate because of genetic disease, but it is false to claim that this fixes genetic disease. Genetic diseases, most of which result from random mutations of sperm or egg, will still happen.
2. The technologies are highly imperfect, and the vast majority of genetic diseases cannot be identified by a test in the pre-implantation phase.
3. What you term a ‘genetic disease’ can be highly subjective. My daughter has a genetic syndrome that results in dwarfism. All it’s done is made her very, very, (very, very) short. Is that a disease? Should she have been ‘eliminated’ prior to birth because of it?
This is eugenics, and it’s frightening to me. My great-aunt was sterilized as a young girl for being “too short”–in Alberta, Canada, several decades ago. That was the law then–we’ll eliminate ‘genetic disease’ (only they didn’t call it that then) by sterilizing people with traits we don’t like.
I am absolutely pro-choice, as I said above; but I have severe ethical concerns with any philosophy that says some fetuses are more abortable than others. When people decide that girl fetuses are more abortable than boy fetuses, we call that sexism, and pass laws against it. But when people decide that disabled fetuses (or those who might become disabled) are more abortable than non-disabled fetuses, we call it progress. But it’s not.
Arguably the choice of whether or not to implant a particular embryo is not abortion; but if the motivations are the same, then ethical concerns about the motivations are the same.
15. Much More Than A Mom said:
September 28, 2006 @ 5:45 pm | Quote
Great comment, Andrea. And great post!
I loved the end in particular. Maybe you could try for, um…a girl and then a boy in the same night? Heh.
16. Jessica Carlson said:
September 28, 2006 @ 6:40 pm | Quote
Andrea, first let me say that I agree with you, but I also don’t think you can be entirely pro-choice if you wish to judge the reason a person aborts to begin with, KWIM?
Secondly, I don’t think Prescott meant that he’s all for “eliminating” all children with defects. Both of our children have special needs (not physical however)ΓΒ and “eliminating” them would not have been an option. I think he’s talking about pre-implantation,ΓΒ soΓΒ he’s not talking about eliminating people per se.
17. Catch said:
September 29, 2006 @ 1:57 am | Quote
Of course you would like to have a baby girl….but you wont flip out if you dont.I dont see anything wrong with using the methods that Dr refered to, the time of the month, sexual position and so on. But this other stuff is just downright scary! God did not intend for it to be this way…just be thankful God gave you a normal healthy child. Thats the way its supposed to be.
18. Ella said:
September 29, 2006 @ 8:46 am | Quote
I really wanted a girl after two boys but ended up with another baby boy whom I of course adore and who is living proof that the Shettles method doesn’t work! But there is no way I would resort to PGD. Selection for medical reasons seems absolutely sensible, so long as now and in the future it is always the parents choice and not society’s. But screening to choose the sex is definitely crossing a dangerous ethical and moral line.
19. Andrea said:
September 29, 2006 @ 9:22 am | Quote
I disagree–I am absolutely pro-choice. If someone were to pass a law banning people from aborting fetuses for gender or for genetic disease, I would be uncategorically opposed to that law. And I would not judge an individual woman in that particular situation who makes that particular choice–I have close family members who made that choice and, while I don’t understand it, I completely support both their actions and their right to do so. It doesn’t change the way I think of them. It just isn’t what I would have done myself–any more than I would have chosen their field of study, but that doesn’t mean I am *against* their field of study.
But I do think it’s important to understand that elminating embryos or fetuses with genetic diseases is, first of all, a highly imperfect science, and secondly, not the elimination of genetic disease itself. The elimination of genetic disease would require an ability to identify diseased genes and repair them, not identify mutated genes and eliminate the fetuses or embryos who carry them.
It would also require a much, much finer and more considered definition of what constitutes genetic disease, which currently is thrown around by some researchers and applied to anyone with a genetic *mutation* period, no matter how benign or even beneficial it might be.
20. Gingersmom said:
September 29, 2006 @ 5:33 pm | Quote
I totally agree with you. Creeps. Me. Out. Let God be God. He’s the only one good at it.
We wanted to try those methods to have the sex of baby that we wanted. But we always ended up getting pregnant BEFORE we started trying. Oops.
21. anne said:
September 29, 2006 @ 9:09 pm | Quote
I am definetly not comfortable with the choose a baby sci fi track. I would be fairly surprised if anyone I knew were.
Re the female orgasm…..get that over with, then, a little later, do your business a la Dr Shettle.
Bon Chance and enjoy the trying!
22. redroller said:
September 30, 2006 @ 9:40 am | Quote
I agree… this is one instance where “slippery slope” is appropriate.
23. Lawyer Mama said:
October 2, 2006 @ 9:04 pm | Quote
I don’t know. I might be up for it if I can weed those icky eyebrows on my husbands side of the family!
24. Amy said:
October 3, 2006 @ 7:57 am | Quote
This stuff just freaks me out.. how does humanity slip to this place?
25. ..... lil person! said:
November 16, 2006 @ 9:59 am | Quote
i think that you shudnt have a designer baby its silly!
u shu be happy with wot u get and if its a girl then gd if its a boy dopnt complain!!!
seriously you should count urself lucky some people cant even have children
wb
from
….
teenage rock chick!
26. Stephanie said:
March 23, 2008 @ 3:39 am | Quote
I’ve written a book on the subject…the lengths one woman goes to so she can conceive a daughter…
Lullabies & Alibis
available at xlibris.com
or you can email me for further information
thequotegal@yahoo.com