A Los Angeles fertility clinic has sparked controversy by offering parents the ability to select the sex, hair color and eye color of babies. However, “designer babies” have actually been here for many years already. The technology, called preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD), is currently used during in vitro fertilization to screen embryos for genetic diseases (such as Huntington’s disease, sickle cell anemia, muscular dystrophy) prior to implantation into the mother’s womb. The difference now is that you are selectively choosing an embryo based on physical traits. The LA Fertility Institute’s first such designer baby is expected to be born next year and will no doubt spark discussions of ethics and morality.
Posts Tagged ‘designer baby’
March 2, 2009


Dr. Steven Chang, the author of DailyDose, is a staff physician with Kosmix RightHealth. Dr. Chang practices Family Medicine at the University of California Davis Medical Center, where his medical interests include both pediatric and geriatric care, public health, gay and lesbian health, and sleep medicine. Dr. Chang trained at the Stanford University affiliated O'Connor Hospital, and was a research fellow at the National Institute of Health. He holds an M.D. from McGill University and a BA in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University.