Two Views on the Genetic Screening of Embryos

August 15, 2006

BusinessWeek recently ran two commentaries on a genetic test known as pre-implantation genetic haplotyping, or PGH. This new method will enable fertility clinics to quickly detect over 6,000 genetic disorders when screening for healthy embryos created in-vitro.

The first article, “Confessions of a ‘Genetic Outlaw’,” predicts that techniques like PGH will increasingly pressure parents to prevent “defective” children from coming into the world. The counterpoint, “New Hope for Families with Genetic Risk,” argues that couples with a history of genetic disease, such as cystic fibrosis, should be able to ensure that their children are not also affected.

With about 1% of the babies born in the U.S. and over 4% in some European countries now conceived in-vitro, will this ability to exact “quality control” over the next generation change the relationship between parents and children? How can we avoid the slippery slope toward a culture of eugenics, where being welcomed as a member of the human family is contingent on being “perfect”?