Paper Summary:

The paper shows why the issue of designer babies will become one of the most controversial issues in modern medicine. The paper explains the arguments in favor of designer babies that rest on utilitarian ethics, ethical relativism or nonmalfeasance and the arguments against this practice that also rely on a range of religious and ethical beliefs. The paper points out that the arguments that designer babies might benefit society rest on the assumption that eliminating disease would lead to an improved quality of life and that being able to control the physical or psychological features of a child would help families.

From the Paper:

"The Abraham Center of Life, located in San Antonio, offers a variety of standard fertility services for hopeful parents: egg donation, frozen embryos, surrogacy, and even adoption. In addition to their standard fertility and family-planning options, Abraham Center also offers a highly controversial option to clients. At Abraham Center, couples can choose their donors' "physical traits and even personality," (Blogicus 2007)
"Choosing donor physical and psychological traits essentially means that hopeful parents can buy a baby of their choice, picking everything from hair and eye color to skin color, height, and race. The so-called designer babies that come from such deliberate selection could in the future be created in a laboratory, as scientists understand enough about the human genetic code to possibly alter embryonic DNA for parents who want their babies to look and possibly act a certain way."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Blogicus (2007). Designer babies? Worldview. Retrieved June 20, 2008 from http://www.blogicus.com/archives/designer_babies.php
• Jakubik, M. (2007). The ethics of designer babies. Pennsylvania Family Law Blog. Retrieved June 20, 2008 from http://pennfamilylaw.com/2007/02/09/the-ethics-of-designer-babies/
• Ritter, M. (2008). Genetically modified human embryo stirs criticism. FoxNews.com. 13 May 2008. Retrieved June 20, 2008 from http://www.foxnews.com/wires/2008May13/0,4670,ModifiedEmbryo,00.html
• Thavis, J. (2007). Pope denounces trend toward 'designer embryos'. Catholic News Service. Retrieved June 20, 2008 from http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0701096.htm
• Woolf, M. (2007). Designer-baby rules 'should be relaxed to save more siblings'. The Independent. 29 July 2007. Retrieved June 20, 2008 from http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/designerbaby-rules-should-be-relaxed-to-save-more-siblings-459460.html

Visitors who viewed this Term Paper also liked these:

• Term Paper # 89119 : "Genetically Modified Foods"
• Persuasive Essay # 74284 : "Organic Foods and Genetically Modified Foods"
• Argumentative Essay # 72810 : "Genetically Modified Food"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: