Aggregated News
FOR countless couples who want to have children but cannot conceive naturally, the birth of Connor Levy is excellent news. Connor is the first child to be born as a result of a new IVF procedure that can screen out genetically abnormal embryos before implantation.
The technique is designed to minimise the chances of a failed pregnancy, still a major issue with IVF. But it also brings the prospect of designer babies one small step closer (see "First baby born after full genetic screening of embryos").
It is proof that an embryo's genome could be sequenced before implantation, which opens the door to a Gattaca-like future in which parents can select desirable genetic traits for their children.
That is a daunting prospect, but we are not there yet. Until it becomes possible to genetically engineer embryos rather than just select them, true designer babies remain in the realm of science fiction.
As it stands, IVF offers very limited opportunities to select desirable traits. Each cycle only produces a few embryos, all of which carry their parents' genes...
The technique is designed to minimise the chances of a failed pregnancy, still a major issue with IVF. But it also brings the prospect of designer babies one small step closer (see "First baby born after full genetic screening of embryos").
It is proof that an embryo's genome could be sequenced before implantation, which opens the door to a Gattaca-like future in which parents can select desirable genetic traits for their children.
That is a daunting prospect, but we are not there yet. Until it becomes possible to genetically engineer embryos rather than just select them, true designer babies remain in the realm of science fiction.
As it stands, IVF offers very limited opportunities to select desirable traits. Each cycle only produces a few embryos, all of which carry their parents' genes...
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