So What are "Designer Babies"?
Designer babies are babies who have been genetically altered before birth so that certain traits
are or are not garunteed. It was created to eliminate some genetically inherited diseases but it
it can also alter physical traits or characteristics of the individual. It works by altering the
DNA of the baby or embryo with technology called in-vitro-fertilization which is excecuted in a lab
which can make this a very risky option. Although there have been babies who have successfully
been genetically altered in the world already, this is technically illegal in the US as "germline
gene editing" is illegal.
be sorted out. On the positive side of this, through removing unhealthy genes, the
lifespan of babies that are a product of DNA alteration will increase by up to 30 years
through promoting healthy cellular growth. The babies can also develop and even start off
in a more intelligent way as this could affect the neurological side of the child. Chances
of developing genetically inherited disorders could be decreased through the removal of
mutated genes. On the other side of the spectrum however, results are not always difinitive as no matter what, there are always risks of procedures like this. More research on this should continue to be conducted as this could result in the loss of the baby or potentially worsening the chances of their survival. This operation is also very expensive and is not widely available to those struggling financially. click here for more pros and cons
So when are they coming? The first genetically modified twins, Lulu and
Nana, were born in November of 2018. The parents agreed to have the
twins altered to prevent the two from inheriting HIV as thier father
had it. The gene that was modified inside of them was the CCR5 gene
which produces a protein that strains HIV to enter cells. Some people
believe this to be an ethical issue as the unborn baby is unable to
make this life chaging decision for themselves. People also worry that
with the change in genetics, the baby could ruin years and generations
of DNA as we still haven't seen what could happen in years to come as
far as adulthood goes for these babies.