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The Age of Tailor-made Babies

by Savitha C Muppala on Jan 9 2007 5:36 PM

Pinch yourself if you think this piece of news is science fiction; now, you may be able to order the baby of your dreams with the desired characteristics- hair color, eye color,

Pinch yourself if you think this piece of news is science fiction; now, you may be able to order the baby of your dreams with the desired characteristics- hair color, eye color, and many other traits chosen and fixed in advance.

The Abraham Center of Life in San Antonio is the first embryo bank to enable those couples, who are unable to have a biological baby, to choose desired characteristics they wish in their prospective child. Though this move has brought back the zing into the lives of many disheartened couples, it has also stirred a hornet’s nest amongst groups who feel the idea is grossly unethical.

Jennalee Ryan, the head of the center said, "People want babies. We can make them babies. What's the big deal?" Ryan allows her clients to pick the race, culture, appearance, and genetic characteristics of individual sperm and egg donors. In her opinion, there is nothing unethical about such a move.

Professor Robert George, a bioethicist at Princeton University, said,” Human beings are not commodities. They're not products. They're not things that ought to be manufactured, and bought and sold. They're not subject to quality controls."

Ryan’s response is honest. She comments that people come to her merely for babies, not designer ones. So why not give them a good choice?



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