NH GOP Senator Says The Disabled and Mentally Ill Are ‘Defective People’ That Should Be Shipped Off To Siberia

[Obama 2012 1,714]

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Learn more about science and genetics in your independent studies before posting more on the subject

one of many artciles..... going back as early as 2006....

http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2009/03/04/technology-allows-parents-to-choose-babys-traits/

LOS ANGELES - Would you pick your baby’s features? One local doctor says he’s about to offer the service to would-be parents.

The miracle of childbirth… some soon-to-be parents don’t even want to know the sex of their baby. But what if you could choose the baby’s features, would you… the eye color, hair color? At L.A.’s Fertility Institutes, they say that you can…

“I would predict that by next year, we would have determined the sex with 100% certainty on a baby, and we will have determined eye color with 80 % accuracy rate,” Dr. Jeff Steinberg, a fertility expert, said.

The technology is not new; it’s called PGD or preimplantation genetic diagnosis. First used to screen for disease, then for gender selection, now this clinic will allow parents to choose physical traits.

Dr. Jeffrey Steinberg considers himself on the cutting edge of invitro fertilization.

“I think it’s very important that we not bury our heads in the sand and pretend that these advances are not happening,” Steinberg said.

So where is all this headed, eyes, hair, maybe even height and athletic ability? Some people, some doctors are against these so-called designer babies – saying among other things, it could lead to decreased diversity, false expectations on the children and some even say there should be a law against it.

Kirsten and Matt Landon used Steinberg’s clinic to select the sex of their daughter; choosing other genetic traits that intrigue them.

“I would have considered trait selection as an option, but not necessarily have gone with it,” Matt Landon said.

A recent U.S. survey suggests most people support the notion of using genetic testing to eliminate serious diseases. But Dr. Steinberg says using technology for cosmetic reasons shouldn’t scare people away.

“Of course, once I’ve got this science, am I not to provide this to my patients? I’m a physician. I want to provide everything science gives me to my patients,” Steinberg said.

Dr Steinberg says he knows the process won’t be exact, but as technology progresses so will the success rate. This fertility treatment will also focus on the pigment of a baby’s skin.

[Amby 490]

Tell us more about your thoughts on this very important topic.

As much as I love the idea of selective breeding for intelligence, I know it's not going to happen on a large scale. People do seek others with high intelligence to breed with. We can also go through a list of sperm donors and pick from them the highest intelligence, the one with the blue eyes, or the dark hair. Thats as far as the selection is going between people at this point.

What I think is fascinating is the use of the genome and genetic markers, known mutations, etc. To help us breed out diseases. You can be tested for so many things before birth these days. By using these tests and the genome, we are able to detect certain markers, mutations, or defects before a fetus has even matured. With things like genetic testing and counseling people are able to see of they're carriers of genes that could be passed down to a fetus, and they're advised on their chances of having a child with certain defects or diseases. People are already making choices to not have children if they're both carriers for a disease. Eugenics is not bad if it's purpose is to keep people from suffering from horrible diseases.

Genetics research is an amazing field and we learn so many things every single day.

[Amby 490]

Paul - I did sex research in undergrad, but now that I'm in med school I'm doing a lot of genetic research. Right now I'm doing research using an organism to Investigate the role of the genome stability in development of certain cancers.

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

I guess I could volunteer my services as a sperm donor...as long as it's done the old fashioned way.

[^_^ 5,021]

By using these tests and the genome, we are able to detect certain markers, mutations, or defects before a fetus has even matured. With things like genetic testing and counseling people are able to see of they're carriers of genes that could be passed down to a fetus, and they're advised on their chances of having a child with certain defects or diseases.

Are you referring to the tests for trisomies and NTDs which are now part of routine prenatal care?

People are already making choices to not have children if they're both carriers for a disease.

Yes and that isn't new. In fact in some places it is law. In the part of India my parents are originally from a blood test before marriage is highly recommended by everyone, even the priests. A very large % of the population are carriers of a form of anemia and two carriers are discouraged from getting married.

[chri'stina 190]

Yes and that isn't new. In fact in some places it is law. In the part of India my parents are originally from a blood test before marriage is highly recommended by everyone, even the priests. A very large % of the population are carriers of a form of anemia and two carriers are discouraged from getting married.

I hope those who don't want to be arranged get the test done before they decide to fall in love with someone. I can't see people saying, "oh well we won't get married then", just because they are both carriers (if it's a love marriage).

Edited March 13, 2011 by chri'stina

[^_^ 5,021]

I hope those who don't want to be arranged get the test done before they decide to fall in love with someone. I can't see people saying, "oh well we won't get married then", just because they are both carriers (if it's a love marriage).

Awareness is important. They can still get married but they have to understand they most likely won't have children. Or rather, they can conceive but survival rates are low.

And as you probably know, getting married without intending to have children is very rare in that part of the world. It's much more common here to hear couples say they don't want kids. Not so over there. Over there it's weird if anyone said that.

Edited March 13, 2011 by \

[Amby 490]

Are you referring to the tests for trisomies and NTDs which are now part of routine prenatal care?

Yes and that isn't new. In fact in some places it is law. In the part of India my parents are originally from a blood test before marriage is highly recommended by everyone, even the priests. A very large % of the population are carriers of a form of anemia and two carriers are discouraged from getting married.

Yes and no on the tests for trisomies. The routine tests do check for extra copies of chromosomes (down syndrome, edward syndrome) and incomplete chrosomosomes (turner syndrome), but there are also tests (like the one you're talking about in India) where parents can have their entire genome mapped if they're worried about a condition that is in their family. The simplest way to put it is one parent knows a certain disease has a history in their family and they're not sure if they're a carrier or not. They're tested and find out they're heterozygous which means they're a carrier or homozygous (they're not a carrier). Carriers obviously don't show symptoms. So their mate is tested to see if they're a carrier as well. If it's a recessive trait (most genetic "diseases" are) and they're both carriers then there's a 1:4 chance they will have a child with whatever the disease is. Genetic counseling is done with parents to help them determine the probability of them having a child with a disease or not depending on their genetic makeup.

I'm sure you did something like this in biology before?

Edited March 13, 2011 by Amby

[Ban Hammer 13,352]

Paul - I did sex research in undergrad, but now that I'm in med school I'm doing a lot of genetic research. Right now I'm doing research using an organism to Investigate the role of the genome stability in development of certain cancers.

i read that as orgasm.

[Amby 490]

i read that as orgasm.