Gazizza.Net

Another First - UK Clinic to Weed Out Embryos for Cosmetic Defects

Doctors at a British fertility clinic will begin screening embryos for cosmetic defects, the first time a license to do so has been issued in the country.

A business man and his wife applied to London’s Bridge Centre family clinic for screening procedures to ensure an embryo would be created without the father’s genetic eye disorder--the man and his father both have an eye condition which gives them a severe squint.
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Prof. Gedis Grudzinskas, with the Bridge Centre clinic, told the Telegraph UK that he believes the HFEA’s decision to permit screening for an eye disorder marks the beginning of a widespread relaxation of screening rules, Prof. Grudzinskas said. “We will increasingly see the use of embryo screening for severe cosmetic conditions.”

He said he would screen embryos for hair color or any cosmetic condition that caused distress to parents.

“If there is a cosmetic aspect to an individual case I would assess it on its merits. [Hair colour] can be a cause of bullying which can lead to suicide. With the agreement of the HFEA, I would do it."

This is just baffling to me. Designer jeans are nothing more than the acting out of a desire to be fashionable and "with it." Designer babies are even more nefarious, solely appealing to the ego. These parents don't seem to be interested in having a child of their own as much as building a lab specimen. Remember that in order to create the perect child, many other imprefect children will be created and destroyed.

And the notion that hair color is a life changing factor because it leads to bullying and therefore suicide? By that logic no one should be born as any personal factor will lead to bullying. Bullies don't bully because of a specific thing about a person; they bully because they want to bully. If someone wants to tease and pick on someone, they will. Everyone has something they're sensitive about; bullies will find it and exploit it. No amount of genetic perfection will prevent that.