It is morally acceptable to allow parents to select the characteristics of their unborn child with the help of genetic engineering, whether it is to enhance physical and intellectual qualities or to prevent hereditary diseases, as long as it does not contribute to the growth of social inequalities, announced an influential group of experts from the Nuffield Council on Bioethics.
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The group has called on the government to initiate a public consultation on this topic, and copies of their statement will be sent to ministers and public officials, writes the Independent.
The law in the United Kingdom currently does not allow the engineering of hereditary genes, except for scientific research purposes.
Changes to the law should be subject to public debate and parliamentary legislation, and subject to strict oversight, says the NCB, as although the topic is controversial, new technologies require changes.
We are not often in a position to observe development and have enough time to think carefully about what to do with these new possibilities, say scientists.
To ensure that genetic engineering does not cause discrimination or divisions in society, cases where hair color, height, or other physical attributes of offspring would be changed should perhaps be excluded.
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Funding and public health are also critical issues, which is why ‘designer’ babies could only be afforded by the wealthiest.
