Designer Babies?

zoe08

New Member
Joined
Mar 5, 2006
Messages
5,160
Likes
0
Points
0
Age
37
Location
Texas
#1
So while we are all on the subject on the life of the unborn, how do you feel about designer babies?

As in choosing what sex, hair color, eye color, etc?
 

sparks19

I'd rather be at Disney
Joined
Jul 7, 2005
Messages
28,563
Likes
3
Points
38
Age
42
Location
Lancaster, PA
#2
I think it's kinda wierd... but if it's not risky and doesn't hurt the baby or the mother then I say let them do what they want. seems like a cookie cutter type thing and takes away all the excitement of the whole thing to me but if it's not harmful I say knock yourself out
 

Juicy

New Member
Joined
Oct 8, 2005
Messages
8,666
Likes
0
Points
0
#3
I think it's kinda wierd... but if it's not risky and doesn't hurt the baby or the mother then I say let them do what they want. seems like a cookie cutter type thing and takes away all the excitement of the whole thing to me but if it's not harmful I say knock yourself out
That.

I would do gender selection if I had a gene of a disease that has the chance of inheriting a life-altering disease to say by having a boy I'll have the chance to pass it on to him.

Also if a person is already 'playing God' by choosing the route of IVF, what is so awful about if they choose the sex of the embyro?

Eye color, hair color, thats more cosmestics than anything. I could care less if my child has brown or blue eyes.
 
S

Squishy22

Guest
#4
I have two girls. When I am ready to have another, I wouldn't mind making sure I had a boy. That's as far as I'd go with it. I think anything else spoils the surprise. Hair color and eye color do not matter to me, at all. I'd love to experience having a boy though.
 

Fran27

Active Member
Joined
Mar 15, 2005
Messages
10,642
Likes
0
Points
36
Age
45
Location
New Jersey
#5
I think it's opening a new can of worm, as it implies selecting embryos that have the characteristics that you want... which makes you wonder what happens to the rest.

I mean, if you could just pick before the embryos are conceived, why not... but the way it works, you do in vitro fertilization, then you check the embryos to see what characteristics they have. I don't know if your question was hypothetical, but it's already possible to know the sex from an embryo... so yeah I can see how you could eventually find the rest too (no idea how advanced science is with that). And you'd be able to choose the embryo you want.

It just seems really wrong to me. Don't get me wrong, I don't consider embryos life, or I wouldn't be able to sleep considering we've lost over 10 of them, and I know that most of them usually just die anyway, but still.
 

Juicy

New Member
Joined
Oct 8, 2005
Messages
8,666
Likes
0
Points
0
#6
I think it's opening a new can of worm, as it implies selecting embryos that have the characteristics that you want... which makes you wonder what happens to the rest.

I mean, if you could just pick before the embryos are conceived, why not... but the way it works, you do in vitro fertilization, then you check the embryos to see what characteristics they have. I don't know if your question was hypothetical, but it's already possible to know the sex from an embryo... so yeah I can see how you could eventually find the rest too (no idea how advanced science is with that). And you'd be able to choose the embryo you want.

It just seems really wrong to me. Don't get me wrong, I don't consider embryos life, or I wouldn't be able to sleep considering we've lost over 10 of them, and I know that most of them usually just die anyway, but still.
I think they have tests to check with embyros have such and such traits. If I could pick from a sickle cell trait embyro or a regular embyo, I'll do it.
 
S

Squishy22

Guest
#7
I took it as picking and using sperm that only have a Y chromosome. Not picking embryos... That's just going too far to me. As far as gender goes anyway...
 

zoe08

New Member
Joined
Mar 5, 2006
Messages
5,160
Likes
0
Points
0
Age
37
Location
Texas
#10
I think it's opening a new can of worm, as it implies selecting embryos that have the characteristics that you want... which makes you wonder what happens to the rest.

I mean, if you could just pick before the embryos are conceived, why not... but the way it works, you do in vitro fertilization, then you check the embryos to see what characteristics they have. I don't know if your question was hypothetical, but it's already possible to know the sex from an embryo... so yeah I can see how you could eventually find the rest too (no idea how advanced science is with that). And you'd be able to choose the embryo you want.

It just seems really wrong to me. Don't get me wrong, I don't consider embryos life, or I wouldn't be able to sleep considering we've lost over 10 of them, and I know that most of them usually just die anyway, but still.
It's not really hypothetical, because I know that you can choose the sex.

I also saw on a TV show a while back that they can not 100% determine eye color/hair color. But they can choose embryos with genes that are more likely to be a certain hair/eye color.

It is more on what you think about doing it. Is it ethical?

I most definitely couldn't do this. I would not be ok with picking some embryos and just throwing the others out.

Also what happens if on the small chance your child does turn out to have a different eye color since it is not 100%. Would you tell your child that you intended for them to have blue eyes, but they ended up with brown? How would that make them feel?
 

sparks19

I'd rather be at Disney
Joined
Jul 7, 2005
Messages
28,563
Likes
3
Points
38
Age
42
Location
Lancaster, PA
#11
well if you were going with embryos wouldn't some be discarded anyway I mean you wouldn't take them all would you?

also for the whole would you tell your child you wanted them to have blue eyes instead....

what is the difference between wanting a boy and getting a girl? I wanted a boy but I got a girl. that does NOT mean that I love hannah any less... in fact I couldnt IMAGINE loving anyone more than her.

and when she was older I might tell her I always wanted a boy... I mean come on... my FATHER wanted to name me BRIAN (that is his name) cause he was sure I was gonna be a boy. does that mean he lvoes me any less? NO he couldn't possibly love me MORE.

I just disagree with THAT logic.

it's not someting I would do personally but if it's not harming anyone then I don't really care
 
S

Squishy22

Guest
#12
I was unaware that this was possible. I don't like the idea of throwing embryos out, so I wouldn't do it. The only way I'd do it is if you could pick sperm that carried the chromosome for the sex you wanted. That's pretty harmless. I wanted madison to be a boy too. Went as far as to buy boy clothing. I got what I wanted with lily though... Another girl, because I enjoyed my first so much!!!!!
 

Juicy

New Member
Joined
Oct 8, 2005
Messages
8,666
Likes
0
Points
0
#13
I was unaware that this was possible. I don't like the idea of throwing embryos out, so I wouldn't do it. The only way I'd do it is if you could pick sperm that carried the chromosome for the sex you wanted. That's pretty harmless. I wanted madison to be a boy too. Went as far as to buy boy clothing. I got what I wanted with lily though... Another girl, because I enjoyed my first so much!!!!!
Thats called sperm washing, I think they also do it in the case of HIV positive couples, they freeze the sperm for 6 months I believe to make sure its not tested HIV positive.
 

KenyiGirl

Navy Sister
Joined
Aug 29, 2008
Messages
1,735
Likes
0
Points
0
#14
Eh... I don't know if it's entirely ethical to pick and choose how a person looks.
 

Fran101

Resident fainting goat
Joined
Oct 12, 2008
Messages
12,546
Likes
0
Points
36
Location
Boston
#15
I think its harmless. most I would ever do is maybe pick the sex.. all the do is put em all in a dish and only implant you with the boys or the girls depending on which you chose

but as far as hair color, eye color etc... I would like to leave that up to chance. I would like the surprise :)

plus me having brown eyes and black hair.. the chances of me having a blond haired blue eyed baby are SLIM TO NONE lol chances are, ill be having a brunette regardless
 

Juicy

New Member
Joined
Oct 8, 2005
Messages
8,666
Likes
0
Points
0
#16
Simple, cheaper solutions for choosing the color differences:
Eye color=contacts
Hair color= hair dye, wigs

Its not like your kids is going to be blond forever, they could decided to dye their hair later in life.
 

zoe08

New Member
Joined
Mar 5, 2006
Messages
5,160
Likes
0
Points
0
Age
37
Location
Texas
#17
I think there is a bit of a difference in wanting something and taking a chance then wanting something and going so far as to only implant those embryos.

And if I were to do IVF. I would not use all embryos at one time. But I would freeze some and use them at a later date. They may not take, but I would at least try.
 

Juicy

New Member
Joined
Oct 8, 2005
Messages
8,666
Likes
0
Points
0
#18
plus me having brown eyes and black hair.. the chances of me having a blond haired blue eyed baby are SLIM TO NONE lol chances are, ill be having a brunette regardless
The eye/hair color doesn't always lead up to the parents soley, you have to put the grandparents, great grandparents, ect to equation.
 

GlassOnion

Thanks, and Gig 'em.
Joined
Oct 29, 2005
Messages
9,065
Likes
0
Points
0
Location
Tejas
#19
Doesn't matter to me. If that means the introduction of more redheaded ladies into the world then I fully support it.

I think it's opening a new can of worm, as it implies selecting embryos that have the characteristics that you want... which makes you wonder what happens to the rest.
Gattaca!




You can already select for sex. It's done all the time in the live stock world and is relatively simple. Just stick the sperm in the centrifuge and, for the most part, the Y sperm stay at the top since they're every so slightly lighter than the X sperm. It's not an exact science yet but it's enough.
 

Juicy

New Member
Joined
Oct 8, 2005
Messages
8,666
Likes
0
Points
0
#20
Gattaca! :yikes:




You can already select for sex. It's done all the time in the live stock world and is relatively simple. Just stick the sperm in the centrifuge and, for the most part, the Y sperm stay at the top since they're every so slightly lighter than the X sperm. It's not an exact science yet but it's enough.
There's always the Dr.Shettles method of sex selection :thumbup:
 

Members online

No members online now.
Top