I think it is science moving forward and look at it as a positive thing. If these genes can be stopped being passed down the generations then i am all for it. Who wants a child to be born with a disability if it can be avoided. Of course there has to be tight regulations but on the whole i believe it to be the right way forward. Teresa.x
As the wife of a carrier of the mutated cancer gene, BRCA2, who has passed it on to his daughter, who has recently undergone and preventative double mastectomy, I’m all for it. Xx
Hiya, everyone is entitled to their own thoughts, but where does one stop, are we to turn into a society on non believers in faith, we should accept any child born, in anyway as a gift giving to us by, whatever God we believe in, a certain gentleman in Germany last century, had thoughts of something similar, the world rightly turned against him, hopefully this idea will go the same way, it may seem like a darkness, but always remember after a darkness comes light, Brian
I see the potential benefits this treatment could have, yes a child of any nature, healthy or otherwise is a thing to be treasured BUT if you had a way to improve their quality of life, save them a life of suffering with no harm coming to them, no risks etc…then i don’t see why you wouldn’t?. This sort of thing would have to be strictly controlled and not be used to ‘design’ your children though and i think that is probably the biggest ethical point about this procedure. Can we trust all ‘experimental’ scientists to always work within the boundry of socially acceptable ethics? Kind of a catch 22 situation…
I always thought the idea of designer babies was abhorrent…and I still do to a point…but I have a condition which could, and I say could…give my children and grandchildren a 50% chance of life in a wheelchair.
Is it so bad to want better for them? mmm, again, each to his or her own opinion. But I treasure my own life, wheels and all!
Sorry but as an atheist who nevertheless believes in the greatest gift of all, that of life, I would not wish what my family has been through and is still going through on anybody if it is preventable. It doesn’t just stop with my husbands children but because his daughter had a baby before she knew about the gene, there is an 80% chance that she will also have it. With this gene giving an 80% risk of breast and ovarian cancer, the risk and the fear lives with you daily. If there is any way of screening eggs / sperm before families have to go through the hell of passing this gene on to their children and feeling guilt for the rest of their lives, do it.
We are not talking about culling human beings because they have blond hair or blue eyes for goodness sake, we are talking about screening and preventing a lifetime of misery and fear for a whole family. Sorry but this is something that I feel very passionate about.
I agree with you MrsH. Why would you put future generations through this if it could be avoided? I know the story behind your husbands daughter and she is a brave woman and must have had an awful time recently. If your hubby’s grandaughter had the gene and she had this new treatment then the faulty cancer gene could be wiped out in the family for good. Teresa.x
Thanks Teresa. It’s desperately sad, it really is. The guilt my poor hubby feels is soul shattering for him. And to watch Michelle go through the pain of diagnosis was hideous for us all. Her world came tumbling down. I could cry now just thinking about it. Xx
Apart from attending to my every whim and fancy(I’m a very lucky girl), my partner is carer for his cousin who has muscular dystrophy,and I know for a fact that his parents feel very guilty about the life he’s had esp as his sister also has MD. They are however both married and are playing the hand they were dealt so to speak.
It must be a dreadful to pass something on to a child and no parent would want that for their kids futures.
The whole designer babies thing is different and I wonder if that would abused, but remember we already do live in a world where abortions are carried out because the sex of a child is thought of as the wrong one.
Where disabilties are involved I would welcome science preventing future suffering and also an informed choice for the parent.