Choosing Genes for Future Children

Choosing Genes for Future Children PDF Author: Mark Henaghan
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780473113124
Category : Genetic screening
Languages : en
Pages : 369

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Book Description

Choosing Genes for Future Children

Choosing Genes for Future Children PDF Author: Mark Henaghan
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780473113124
Category : Genetic screening
Languages : en
Pages : 369

Get Book Here

Book Description


Choosing Genes for Future Children

Choosing Genes for Future Children PDF Author: Mark Henaghan
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) is publicly funded in New Zealand from 2006. PGD poses a range of issues that have ongoing significance for other later emerging applications of genetic technologies arising from the sequencing of the human genome. The idea of the 'designer baby' is the most publicly proclaimed outcome of new developments in genetic medicine.

Choosing Genes for Future Children

Choosing Genes for Future Children PDF Author: Dana Wensley
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
The fact that embryos are specifically created for selection in the use of PGD entails their possible rejection. This, rather than the PGD activity itself, is thought by some to be objectionable as it is said to instrumentalise embryos. Equally, other arguments are used by opponents of PGD, for example that it may have negative effects on resultant children and that there may be risks to the child's physical and/or emotional status. The emotional risks would be the hardest to quantify but some believe that the power of choice put into the hands of parents by PGD could alter the parent/child relationship fundamentally from one of unconditional love to one dictated by the realisation (or not) of specific 'designer' expectations. There are a number of arguments against PGD. One of them is the 'Playing God' objection which is examined from the Christian viewpoints, and from the secular standpoint in terms of interfering with the natural order. The wide and differing range of views held by the general public on the status of the embryo and foetus cannot be ignored. New Zealand legislation already permits abortion and PGD on limited grounds, and so does not reflect the conservative view of the foetus although the limits imposed might be construed as opposing a completely liberal view. There are no conclusive arguments, nor is there any crucial evidence, which can resolve the differences in views from various accounts of the status of the human embryo and foetus. The question of whether PGD should or should not be permitted is ultimately not usefully addressed by seeking an answer to the question of the status of the human embryo or foetus. The moderate or 'gradualist' approach to the human embryo - an approach that sees the embryo as more than a mere collection of cells, but as less than a full person - is adopted in this report. This approach requires that the embryo of the human species is worthy of respect at all stages, but that certain interventions/treatments may be permissible at certain stages, with the limits of permissibility narrowing as the embryo/foetus nears maturity. Selecting embryos on the basis of their genetic status is a matter of considerable concern for many people - particularly those speaking for the disability rights community. Attitudes vary as to whether or not the availability of PGD to screen out genetic conditions will result in disrespecting people with disabilities or whether this use of PGD sends out a eugenics signal. Discussions about these issues in New Zealand are emerging. The New Zealand Organisation for Rare Disorders is open to the use of emerging genetic technologies for parents to choose to avoid the birth of children with disabilities. For the Crippled Children's Society, their focus has been to consider changing their constitution to emphasise that they celebrate the lives of people with disabilities. The place of people with disabilities and the impact of clinical advance on their position is sometimes seen to be somewhat marginalised, and surely deserves special protection. New Zealand does not have a Disability Rights Commission (as, for example, the UK does) although it has a Minister for Disability and an Office for Disability Issues. Additionally, even with a number of statutes relevant in this area (the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990, Human Rights Act 1993, and Health and Disability Commissioner Act 1994), New Zealand has no body directly responsible for issues that fall under the category of promoting good relations between people with disabilities and their communities. The bioethical analyses are informed by the Universal Declaration of Bioethics and Human Rights (UDBHR)25 which significantly focuses on the inter-relationship between bioethics and human rights, and helps shape thinking and reflection for both the process of developing policy and determining the content of policy. At the heart of the ethical analysis of PGD is the tension between, on one hand, individual freedom and privacy to make reproductive choices and, on the other hand, social solidarity and responsibility to ensure that human dignity is not eroded or undermined.

Babies by Design

Babies by Design PDF Author: Ronald M. Green
Publisher: Yale University Press
ISBN: 0300138571
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 287

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Book Description
Product Description: We stand on the brink of unprecedented growth in our ability to understand and change the human genome. New reproductive technologies now enable parents to select some genetic traits for their children, and soon it will be possible to begin to shape ourselves as a species. Despite the loud cries of alarm that such a prospect inspires, Ronald Green argues that we will, and we should, undertake the direction of our own evolution. A leader in the bioethics community, Green offers a scientifically and ethically informed view of human genetic self-modification and the possibilities it opens up for a better future. Fears of a terrible Brave New World or a new eugenics movement are overblown, he maintains, and in the more likely future, genetic modifications may improve parents' ability to enhance children's lives and may even promote social justice. The author outlines the new capabilities of genomic science, addresses urgent questions of safety that genetic interventions pose, and explores questions of parenting and justice. He also examines the religious implications of gene modification. Babies by design are assuredly in the future, Green concludes, and by making responsible choices as we enter that future, we can incorporate gene technology in a new age of human adventure.

Genetic Dilemmas

Genetic Dilemmas PDF Author: Dena S. Davis
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 019537438X
Category : Health & Fitness
Languages : en
Pages : 222

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Book Description
What limits the genetic choices parents make for their children? Is it okay to select the sex of our children, or for deaf parents to select deaf children? In this second edition of Genetic Dilemmas, Davis argues that parental reproductive autonomy should be limited by respect for the future autonomy of the children created by these measures. Praise for the first edition: "A thoughtful, timely and comprehensive look at genetics in the modern era by a recognized scholar of both their legal and humanistic implications. An excellent read!" -R. Alta Charo, Professor of Law and Medical Ethics, University of Wisconsin- Madison. "Dena Davis has been the most consistent and important voice insisting that we take seriously the concept of each child's right to an open future, and what respecting that right would mean for new technologies in genetics and reproduction. This engaging new book is the work of a thoughtful and humane scholar, and deserves a broad readership." -Thomas H. Murray, President of The Hastings Center "Dena Davis offers an engaging, informative and provocative argument in Genetic Dilemmas. Her primary accomplishment is to draw much-needed attention to the interests of the child in reproductive decision-making...she has succeeded admirably." -Mary Terrell White, Medical Humanities Review "People now face a dizzying array of choices about reproduction-from sex selection to cloning, from prenatal screening to genetic enhancement. In this engaging and path-breaking book, Dena Davis intelligently and compassionately explores the often-ignored impact of these choices on the children that are created and the society in which they will be raised." -Lori Andrews, Professor of Law, Chicago-Kent College of Law

Heritable Human Genome Editing

Heritable Human Genome Editing PDF Author: The Royal Society
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309671132
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 239

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Book Description
Heritable human genome editing - making changes to the genetic material of eggs, sperm, or any cells that lead to their development, including the cells of early embryos, and establishing a pregnancy - raises not only scientific and medical considerations but also a host of ethical, moral, and societal issues. Human embryos whose genomes have been edited should not be used to create a pregnancy until it is established that precise genomic changes can be made reliably and without introducing undesired changes - criteria that have not yet been met, says Heritable Human Genome Editing. From an international commission of the U.S. National Academy of Medicine, U.S. National Academy of Sciences, and the U.K.'s Royal Society, the report considers potential benefits, harms, and uncertainties associated with genome editing technologies and defines a translational pathway from rigorous preclinical research to initial clinical uses, should a country decide to permit such uses. The report specifies stringent preclinical and clinical requirements for establishing safety and efficacy, and for undertaking long-term monitoring of outcomes. Extensive national and international dialogue is needed before any country decides whether to permit clinical use of this technology, according to the report, which identifies essential elements of national and international scientific governance and oversight.

Designing Babies

Designing Babies PDF Author: Robert Klitzman
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN: 0190054476
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 361

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Book Description
Designing Babies examines the ethical, social, and policy concerns surrounding the use of Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ARTs). Basing his analysis on in-depth interviews with providers and patients, Robert Klitzman provides vital insights, guidance, and specific policy recommendations for understanding and regulating these procedures.

Redesigning Humans

Redesigning Humans PDF Author: Gregory Stock
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
ISBN: 9780618340835
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 300

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Book Description
Writing for the lay reader, Stock, the director of the Program on Medicine, Technology, and Society at the School of Public Health at UCLA, discusses the science, potential impact, and many controversies surrounding the development of germline engineering, which involves selectively altering human g

Choosing Genes for Future Children

Choosing Genes for Future Children PDF Author: Jeanne Snelling
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
The assessment of legislative frameworks in this report is based on principles which are most likely to enable regulatory initiatives to be accepted by the general public as legitimate. These principles require that the regulatory framework must be proportionate to the perceived harms or risks posed to justify the imposition of regulatory limits. Regulators should have clear lines of accountability, in particular, their decisions must be justified and be subject to public scrutiny. There should be accessible, fair and effective complaints and appeals processes. Consistency in administering the regulation and in the regulation itself, and transparency in terms of what the regulatory objective is, and the legal obligations of those being regulated are essential. Finally, regulation must be precisely targeted to achieve its objective. In comparison to other regimes with similar regulatory structures, New Zealand is unique in that the Human Assisted Reproductive Technology Act (HART Act) establishes two statutory bodies with clear remits. New Zealand has therefore departed from the international trend of having one statutory authority that both creates and implements policy. Instead there are two bodies: an advisory committee which creates policy, and an ethics committee which assesses individual cases against the advisory committee's guidelines. The main benefit of this structure is that focusing solely on policy increases the efficiency of the Advisory Committee's policy-making process, both in terms of time and the expertise of those creating policy. New Zealand is different from the jurisdictions used here as comparators in that it has essentially de-regulated some aspects of assisted reproduction. There is little doubt that the HART Act 2004 was a necessary legislative initiative. The framework sets up affordable, efficient and responsive processes, and is supported in terms of health and safety aspects by other health law instruments. New Zealand is renowned for its thorough investigation of issues surrounding the implementation of novel technologies as was seen in the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Genetic Modification. There is, however, a comparative dearth of research investigating issues surrounding individual perceptions, experiences, and attitudes relating to new human assisted reproductive technologies. Caution should be exercised before directly applying the findings or knowledge arising from research investigating public groups overseas to the New Zealand situation. The creation of fair and relevant criteria with which to evaluate public views is extremely difficult and has in the past resulted in the marginalising of relevant groups, such as children and people with disabilities. This, coupled with the consultation requirement built into the HART Act, highlights the importance of specific social and ethical research into assisted reproduction in New Zealand. Such research will greatly enhance the level of ethical debate and also the value and durability of policy and legislation in these areas. When there are strongly held positions on either side of a debate such as there is on preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD), a common situation in a democracy is to go with the majority view. However, the meaning of democracy needs refinement and the following comment from H.L.A. Hart, the Oxford legal philosopher, gives us pause for reflection: “It seems feasibly easy to believe that democratic principles entails acceptance of what may be termed moral populism: the view that the majority have a moral right to dictate how all should live...The central mistake is a failure to distinguish the acceptable principle that political power is best entrusted to the majority from the unacceptable claim that what the majority do with that power is beyond criticism and must never be resisted. No one can be a democrat who does not accept the first of these, but no democrat need accept the second”. At present, PGD has the most dramatic impact on a small minority of families. Their voices and concerns can easily be lost. This report critiques majority positions which unjustifiably or inconsistently erode family choices.

Choosing Children

Choosing Children PDF Author: Jonathan Glover
Publisher: OUP Oxford
ISBN: 0191037117
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 128

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Book Description
Progress in genetic and reproductive technology now offers us the possibility of choosing what kinds of children we do and don't have. Should we welcome this power, or should we fear its implications? There is no ethical question more urgent than this: we may be at a turning-point in the history of humanity. The renowned moral philosopher and best-selling author Jonathan Glover shows us how we might try to answer this question, and other provoking and disturbing questions to which it leads. Surely parents owe it to their children to give them the best life they can? Increasingly we are able to reduce the number of babies born with disabilities and disorders. But there is a powerful new challenge to conventional thinking about the desirability of doing so: this comes from the voices of those who have these conditions. They call into question the very definition of disability. How do we justify trying to avoid bringing people like them into being? In 2002 a deaf couple used sperm donated by a friend with hereditary deafness to have a deaf baby: they took the view that deafness is not a disability, but a difference. Starting with the issues raised by this case, Jonathan Glover examines the emotive idea of 'eugenics', and the ethics of attempting to enhance people, for non-medical reasons, by means of genetic choices. Should parents be free, not only to have children free from disabilities, but to choose, for instance, the colour of their eyes or hair? This is no longer a distant prospect, but an existing power which we cannot wish away. What impact will such interventions have, both on the individuals concerned and on society as a whole? Should we try to make general improvements to the genetic make-up of human beings? Is there a central core of human nature with which we must not interfere? This beautifully clear book is written for anyone who cares about the rights and wrongs of parents' choices for their children, anyone who is concerned about our human future. Glover handles these uncomfortable questions in a controversial but always humane and sympathetic manner.