Australian newspapers are reporting that a woman in Britain is pregnant with the first designer baby selected to prevent an inherited cancer. The mother-to-be, who has not been named, conceived after receiving treatment from Paul Serhal, of University College Hospital, London. In Britain, Dr. Serhal pioneered the use of this procedure to detect inherited cancers. The Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority awarded him licenses to screen for retinoblastoma and a form of colon cancer. Using a genetic-screening technology that will prevent the mother from passing on a hereditary form of eye cancer to her children, doctors removed cells and tested them for the cancer gene, and only unaffected embryos were transferred to her womb. There is heated debate over the ethics of this practice. How do you feel about designer babies?
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1. I think that is so wrong! babys are innocent and there's enough babies being born with probs because of what the parents have done like drugs and alcohol during pregnancy! babies should be born naturally! not because of drugs being put into stuff!
Posted at 6:08PM on May 13th 2006 by Lauren