A married couple wishes to have a child; however, the 32 year old mother knows that she is a carrier for Huntington's disease (HD). HD is a genetic disorder that begins showing signs anywhere between 35-45 years of age. Its symptoms begin with slow loss of muscle control and end in loss of speech, large muscle spasms, disorientation, and emotional outbursts. After 15-20 years of symptoms, HD ends in death. HD is a dominant disorder which means that her child will have a 50% chance of contracting the disorder. Feeling that risking their baby's health would be irresponsible, the couple decides to use in vitro fertilization to fertilize several of the wife's eggs. Several eggs are harvested, and using special technology, only eggs that do not have the defective gene are kept to be fertilized. The physician then fertilizes a single egg and transfers the embryo to the mother. Nine months later, the couple gives birth to a boy who does not carry the gene for the disorder. Questions Do you think this is a case of eugenics? "Eugenics" is defined as "the hereditary improvement of the human race controlled by selective breeding" (dictionary.com) Do you think it would be acceptable for the parents to select for sex as well or should they only be able to select an embryo that does not have HD? How would it be different? Do you think it is ethical for this couple to have a baby in the first place when the mother could begin showings signs of HD when the baby is just a few years old? Why or why not?
