Designer baby

The term **designer baby** is used sometimes, but its meaning is often not clear or simple. Most of the time, it means "influencing the quality of a child which is not yet born". The main idea is to change the genetics, of the child for the better. What is "better" is often up for debate. There are many technical, social, moral and legal issues connected to this idea. Society has scarcely begun to think about these issues. However, it is now certain that some of these ideas can, in principle, be done.

Nazis in Germany were interested in genetic engineering and designer babies in the form of eugenics.

The following are brief examples of what might be done. It is not a list of what should or will be done. Some elements are already happening in some parts of the world.

## Choosing the gender of a child

In some parts of the world there is a strong preference for male children. If this was put in place, it would probably have considerable unplanned effects on those societies. However, technically, it is simple. This form of trying for desired traits in offspring happened secondary to China's one child policy, which led to abortions or abandonment of female children in the country.

One method is to conceive normally, but abort any foetus which is female. The sex of a baby is discovered by recovering cells from the sac covering the foetus. This procedure is standard, and is called amniocentesis.

### Amniocentesis and stem cells

Recent studies have discovered that amniotic fluid is a rich source of stem cells.

A benefit of getting amniotic stem cells is that risk to the foetus is low. These stem cells would also, if used to treat the same individual they came from, sidestep the donor/recipient issue which has so far stymied all attempts to use donor-derived stem cells in therapies.

Artificial heart valves, working tracheas, as well as muscle, fat, bone, heart, neural and liver cells have all been engineered through use of amniotic stem cells. Tissues got from amniotic cell lines show promise for patients suffering from congenital diseases/malformations of the heart, liver, lungs, kidneys, and cerebral tissue.

The first amniotic stem cells bank in the US is active in Boston, Massachusetts. The relevance of this is that a stock of stem cells creates the possibility of surgical corrections or replacements during the life of the individual.

## Identifying serious birth defects

The one area where there is a consensus in some societies is the need to identify serious defects in a foetus before birth. This is now routine in many countries. The definition of "serious" would certainly include defects which make life of the foetus (if born) so defective that its life would be troubled and short. Some conditions, like triple-21 Down syndrome, are often not that serious. In many cases, the parents' wishes decide whether or not an abortion will be carried out.

### Analysis of parents' DNA

A complete sequence analysis of an individual's DNA is possible, and costs about $5,000 US dollars. It is thought that doing so could soon become widespread, but is not often done currently. If the genetics of both parents is well understood, the possibilities for the foetus are well defined. Already, genetic counselling is given to parents who have already had a defective baby or were born with a genetic defect. One example of a genetic disease that most if not all babies are screened for at birth is cystic fibrosis. When other diseases are found, such as when they develop in adulthood, genetic counciling is sometimes offered to tell the patient about their risk of passing it on to their children in the future.

The main point is that DNA analysis would allow problems to be spotted in advance.

### Analysis of the foetal DNA

Already, from the cells recovered by amniotic contuses, chromosome defects like triple-21 can be seen under the microscope. DNA analysis takes this a step further.

The only limitation of the analysis is the ability to understand the function of the various genes. Our understanding is limited at present, but we do understand in great detail the causes of _some_ important genetic defects.

## What can be done when defects are found

Until recently, the only available action was to offer abortion to the mother. This is a legal alternative in some countries. However, the coming of genetic engineering offers the potential of fixing the defects in the genes of a foetus.

Ways are being developed to change the genetic make-up of a living being. Several Nobel prizes have been awarded in the last ten or so years research related to this idea. Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for:
- 2006  Andrew Fire and Craig Mello, United States, for finding how RNA interference can switch genes on or off.
- 2007  Mario Capecchi, United States, Sir Martin Evans, United Kingdom, Oliver Smithies, United States, for finding a way to switch off genes in mouse embryonic stem cells. This leads to genetically changed mice.
- 2010  Robert Edwards, U.K., for the development of in vitro fertilization.

## Related pages

- Genetic screening