British fertility clinics raise scientific and ethical objections over patients sending embryos’ genetic data abroad for analysis
Couples undergoing IVF in the UK are exploiting an apparent legal loophole to rank their embryos based on genetic predictions of IQ, height and health, the Guardian has learned.
The controversial screening technique, which scores embryos based on their DNA, is not permitted at UK fertility clinics and critics have raised scientific and ethical objections, saying the method is unproven. But under data protection laws, patients can – and in some cases have – demanded their embryos’ raw genetic data and sent it abroad for analysis in an effort to have smarter, healthier children.
Dr Cristina Hickman, a senior embryologist and founder of Avenues fertility clinic in London, said rapid advances in embryo screening techniques and the recent launch of several US companies offering so-called polygenic screening had left clinics facing “legal and ethical confusion”.
Oh neat, eugenics
Home grown, local eugenics.
Kinda like how picking who to marry is also eugenics.
If you pick your spouse specifically because of your prospective offsprings traits then yes, but that’s not exactly why everyone gets married.
Genetic traits explains a fair amount of physical attraction.
Which is one of many aspects of romantic attraction.
Gattaca theme music intensifies.
Yes, let’s have this discussion.
Personally, I think screening for disease is a win. Give that service by default. Though we need this happening where somebody can check the data (grift would be very bad in this space).
Like with many many things in our world. This is fantastic! >!just as long as it’s available for everyone and not here to make the rich richer.!<
Is there actual science to predict IQ based on genes?
A test of almost 453,000 people showed consistent results that higher IQ could be traced in the genome, but environmental factors play an almost equal role in intelligence. There is still a lot of debate surrounding the subject.
Interesting. Thanks!
IQ also doesn’t equal intelligence, it is meant to predict academic and executive success.
God bless epigenetics!
Eeew how could you make this choice as a parent and not feel like an ingrown creep who wants a video game character creation tool where you can amuse yourself by crafting an object just as you like it instead of seeing a child as the gift of a living, breathing, unpredictable, utterly unique and esoteric human you have the privilege of witnessing endlessly surprise you?
This kind of attitude is ALREADY the source of countless children suffering from the selfish reductiveness of their parents’ gaze, I dread that science is further enabling it.
They think of it as just giving their kid the best chances in life. They really need to listen to people like Vivian Wilson talk about what it’s like to not live up to selected for traits in IVF.
We cannot ignore the fact that once the capacity for choice is introduced something essential is changed. I don’t think there is an easy place to draw the line, I expect it is only degrees of gray past a certain point with preventing poor quality of life/debilitating disabilities but on the other hand it is very clear to me that there are very very very BAD places to draw the line and I absolutely do not trust the structures of society nor the choices of individuals not to violate basic human decency here. I am not an extremist on this, what I am is very worried about how I see a desire in people to choose their children in a way that would never be healthy even if they could.
