Scientists in the UK will be taking a historic step soon now that the Commons has given the green signal to go ahead with three-parent embryos, or three-people IVF procedures, subject, of course, to the House of Lords giving its consent. In effect, what scientists may aim for is “designer babies” whose skin and eye colour could presumably be predetermined.
We are far from there yet, but the first of the three-parent babies could be born as early as next year. The procedure will initially be used only to stave off mitochondrial disorders in children who may be predisposed to this because of their mother’s faulty genes. Questions are already being asked about whether such innovations are necessary, but then the boundaries of science must be pushed constantly, which is rather more welcome than making sophisticated weapons.
There has been opposition to the move since ethical boundaries will be pushed if a child were to be born to two mothers. From mending babies’ mitochondria it would be only a few steps to designing all their genes. And that would be eugenics of the kind Hitler dreamt of.
The psychological implications are bound to be huge, since any child born in this manner could in time claim the right to know the identity of the egg-donating “second mother”. Beyond the personal implications, there are scary scenarios which must be addressed before science begins to roam beyond all boundaries of ethics and control.
