Designer babies Ok'd in UK

Brummie

Just heard the tail end of the news that producing a "designer baby" for the sole purpose of using its bone marrow/organs to aid other suffering children is now lawful in England!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/2928655.stm

Geeesh, what next?

tetrapod.sapien

i just could not let this thread continue unanswered.

very, very controversial subject. but that's all for me!

cheerio,

love11

I guess I'm not clear on what exactly they are going to do. "Create" a whole baby to save the life of someone alive right now?

How weird?!!!

Or are they saying they will grow organs of a human to help humans alive right now?

Robert K Stock

A couple in the US faced a similar situation a few years ago. They had a second child for the purpose of being a bone marrow donor.

The way the media report these cases it conjures up visions of long rows of hospital beds with unconscious children being sold for parts.

The reality is very different.

Rob, I didnt have an image like the scenario you mentioned, but what is the reality you refer too? Or the real 'image'? I am still trying to work out what they are doing, one news report says one thing and another says they are letting the couple have a baby specifically to use its organs to help their son.

I'm a bit confused by this too.

Brummie

iggy_the_fish

This is a tricky one. I have to say that it's the sort of thing I'm instinctively against, but then when I read more about it I start to change my mind.

I think saying "Designer Babies" makes it sound more like genetic modification of embryos, when what they're doing is screening existing embryos for compatibility with their existing child. Well, you pays your money and takes your choice on that one, whether you agree with the ethics of that or not. Again, I'm instinctively against it, but you can bet your life that if it was my child I'd change my mind pretty quick.

The procedure the second child would have to undergo to donate bone marrow doesn't seem to be such a bad procedure after all. Certainly no organ harvesting going on! Have a look on this page, quite a way down, it talks about the experience of the donor. http://www.childrenshospital.org/cfapps/A2ZtopicDisplay.cfm?Topic=Bone%20Marrow%20Transplant

So all in all, taking into account the parent's emotions, the selection process and the transplant process, it's a whole lot less ghoulish than the newspaper headlines suggest. However, I'm still not sure I'm entirely happy with it, need to ponder some more. I sympathise with the parents though.

ig.

jeanniebeanz

"donor children" endure an early life of pain and the knowledge that the purpose of their existance is to be a warehouse for another person.

No matter how much you love a child, to bring another person into the world for this purpose and under these circumstances is just wrong, imho.

J

Robert K Stock

The reality I refer to is the medical proceedures involved.

When I read this post I remembered a TV movie from the 70's where clones were raised at a secret facility to harvest their organs when needed.

The religious fanatics in the US will not allow research on human cloning, stem cells or any similar medical proceedure.

love11

Let me get this straight- It's an actual child that is going to be raised!!!! By whom?!

Hmm... if they want another child, that's one thing. But just to save the other, I don't know. If they love that child and raise it lovingly, then it's ok. But if they have the attitude like we didn't really want you, we just did it for your organs, then that is wrong. humh!

Midget-Sasquatch

On a gut level, I'm wary of this because its hard to predict how the parents will treat the resulting "selected" child. Is he/she just a means to an end or will they be shown real love and given as much support and time, as the other child(ren)?

If the latter, then I don't see why not. It'll be like a sibling serving as donor for another sibling. I don't think organ harvesting is even being considered here (plainly inhumane)...the process will be strictly regulated.

Designer babies Ok'd in UK

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