Why not use genetic engineering for Designer Babies?
The thought of parents creating designer babies through genetic engineering is a new development in the world of science. Genetic engineering has the capability of providing the option for the parents of a child to hand pick the traits and physical characteristics of their unborn child. By splicing certain genes, the child's sex, eye color, hair color, intelligence, behaviors, and even athletic ability can all be altered to the liking of the parents (iv). Due to the vast possibilities and complexity of the procedure, creating a designer baby through genetic engineering would be a high cost for parents to pay to the doctors. This is where the main issue of designer babies arises. Those that are able to afford genetic engineering to create their designer babies will get the child they have built. Those who cannot afford the high cost of a designer baby would take the traditional route of letting nature choose the traits of their baby for them. This would put a great divide in modern society. The children whose genes were altered would become more supreme than the average population. Using genetic engineering to build designer babies would complicate elements of society, such as sports and higher education.
Possible Problems/Questions with Designer Babies
Should a person who was genetically modified to have outstanding athletic abilities be able to play against someone was developed their athletic skills on their own through practice and determination? Should a person who was genetically modified to have an exceptional intelligence receive a scholarship for college over the normal student who worked long and hard to deserve their academic achievement? Would society be divided into those with supreme abilities due to being a designer baby, and those with normal or average abilities? Would there only be lower class jobs available for those who were not designer babies? Since there are no current limitations or guidelines for genetic modification or designer babies, these questions are likely scenarios society would face.