The Importance Of Designer Babies

Designer Babies- Should Parents Play God?

The term “designer babies” was once just an idea that seemed to be possible only in science fiction novels; however, today scientists are on the cusp of making this possible. What is a designer baby, one may ask? This is a phrase that refers to genetic interventions into pre-implantation embryos in the attempt to control the traits the resulting child will possess. While some say this “brilliant development” will lead to healthier babies and a stronger human race, it will not. Research and information determines that this scientific breakthrough flings open the door to an infinite number of issues in every form, from scientific concerns to moral disputes.

One of the moral scientific concerns that designer babies brings to light is a decrease in human diversity, and this also brings up the moral dispute of the emphasized importance of genetic makeup. Today’s media shoves the importance to appear and perform in a specific way down the throats of the public incessantly. Studies have shown how the pressure of the media has led to anorexia and other illnesses in both females and males. It cannot be disputed that humans desire to look or be a certain way-beautiful, tan, tall, muscular, etc., etc. Parents should not be given permission to become obsessive and overly concerned with the outward appearance of their unborn offspring when humans are already fighting the battle the media places on outwardly appearances. Also, if parents are allowed to hand pick their future newborn’s traits why would they not consciously or subconsciously pick the most desirable of these characteristics? These qualities will be admired and praised in society surely. It is naïve to think that these ...

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...b is not to shape and match the child’s preferences to match their own. Parents that do this are stifling their child and ignoring the child’s own talents and passions by satisfying their own ambitions.

Designer babies are not a scientific advancement that should be acted upon. Michael Sandel, a member of the United States President’s Council of Bioethics, believes in the “ethic of giftedness”, he said, “To appreciate our children as gifts, is to accept them as they come, not as objects of our design or products of our will or instruments of our ambition.” Humans are not prepared to design their own future. No individual should be handed the honor and right to manipulate the progression of the human race. There must be a dark, definite line drawn between research and testing and science and creation that can affect the evolution of the species severely.