Writer Genetic testing can tell parents a lot about their unborn children, especially health defects. But this new technology has some doctors and scientists worried that testing will be used for the wrong reasons. Bhargava was part of a Conference on World Affairs panel Tuesday focusing on the pros and cons of genetic testing as a part of prenatal care for pregnant women. But the panelists were quick to point out that the purpose of genetic testing is to make parents aware of possible health defects, not to alter physical attributes such as hair and eye color. But suppose we know that the child has a severe genetic abnormality and it will not allow them to live a normal life.
Genetic testing becomes more controversial when the health defect is more severe.
Parents could change their decision to keep an unborn child if they find out their child has the gene for Huntington's Disease, a disorder that destroys the mind. The decision to raise a child with a severe health defect like Down syndrome or Cystic Fibrosis can also be expensive. But panelists agreed that abortion should be considered only in the most severe cases. Most defects are not dangerous or life threatening, but for those that are, parents should have the option to abort. Although genetic testing should be used to find health defects, potential does exist for parents to try to make their children smarter or to change their gender, hair color and other physical attributes.