The prospect of being able to create designer children has raised a number
of ethical questions. Some people find the idea abhorrent because of the
prospect of “playing God” with the genetic makeup of human beings. Of course
similar objections had been raised for just about every other medical advance,
including vaccinations and organ transplants.
And a more practical level, other people object to the idea of designer
children for safety reasons. Could the manipulation of the genetic makeup of
humans lead to unexpected results, no matter how keen our understanding of
genetics? It would be a tragic thing if a child were designed for superior
mathematical ability if it also resulted in some bad side effect, such as a
predisposition for some mental disorder such as bipolar syndrome.
Other people wonder if human beings could be trusted to make wise choices,
once the ability to create designer children has arrived. For instance, in some
societies like China,
where male children are preferred to female children, won’t the ability to have
designer children create an imbalance in the sexes? What if people were able to
determine the sexual preference of their children (i.e. whether they were gay
or straight)? Should they?
If germline gene therapy is permitted, who will regulate it? By what
criteria? Will therapeutic therapy be permitted but not cosmetic? If so, why?
Will the rich have the ability to design their children, but not the poor?
These and other questions must and should be debating in the years to come, so
that society will be ready when the technology is developed.