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Government advisers have endorsed the idea of a national pre-pregnancy screening programme for couples who want to know whether they have genetic conditions they could pass on to their children.
There are no specific ethical, legal or social principles that would make such a possibility unacceptable, said a report from the Human Genetics Commission.
It said testing should be available to all those who might benefit, but individuals or couples should never be made "to feel obliged, expected or forced" to undergo such tests before conception and should receive "non-directive" counselling on the issue.
But some critics have warned that the report could pave the way for eugenics.
The UK national screening committee which advises on whether the NHS should offer tests for a number of conditions – including during pregnancy – had sought the commission's view before considering whether preconception tests should be added to the list.
Conditions such as cystic fibrosis or sickle cell disease can develop in young people if both parents are carriers of the genetic disease. Currently only people with a known risk of inherited...
There are no specific ethical, legal or social principles that would make such a possibility unacceptable, said a report from the Human Genetics Commission.
It said testing should be available to all those who might benefit, but individuals or couples should never be made "to feel obliged, expected or forced" to undergo such tests before conception and should receive "non-directive" counselling on the issue.
But some critics have warned that the report could pave the way for eugenics.
The UK national screening committee which advises on whether the NHS should offer tests for a number of conditions – including during pregnancy – had sought the commission's view before considering whether preconception tests should be added to the list.
Conditions such as cystic fibrosis or sickle cell disease can develop in young people if both parents are carriers of the genetic disease. Currently only people with a known risk of inherited...