The Baby Business and Public Policy

May 5, 2009

The recent media storm over the in vitro fertilization-induced birth of octuplets has receded into the tabloids and entertainment pages. A second fertility industry scandal that emerged several weeks later—the announcement by a Los Angeles fertility clinic that it would soon offer a program to select embryos not just for sex but also for hair, eye and skin color—has also veered out of the headlines. But the outcry surrounding these events has revealed mounting disquiet about the multi-billion dollar baby business. (Science Progress)