The Child Development Essay Example. The Hard Decisions That Parents Make

Imagine knowing that your child no matter what would live to only 40, because of an incurable hereditary disease, and that you could have prevented the disease. How would those parents feel? Would they feel responsible? In vitro fertilization (IVF) is the process of selecting embryos to be implanted with the traits that you want your child to have. Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) is the screening of the possible embryos prior to implantation. Some think that this an incredible opportunity and some think that this is unethical and should be abolished. Parents should be only allowed to opt out of diseases or disabilities because it could eliminate diseases, savior sibling, and it could prevent diseases. Erasing a disease that could potentially harm a child in future, who wouldn’t say, “Yes”?

For some parents wanting to erase the chance of their child having a disease or disability later down the road would be an instant “Yes!” This is what a scientist did from China. He has claimed that he has created the first genetically edited babies. He claims that he implanted embryos into a woman and she gave birth to twin girls. He presented data that show what he has accomplished but doesn’t have proof that the girls have been born. According to Tech Crunch, “He announced he had used CRISPR to remove from the embryos of two twin girls born in November a gene which plays a role in enabling forms of the HIV virus to infect cells.” This is showing that the scientist used CRISPR to edit the genes of twin girls to eliminate the forms of the HIV virus, or so it is supposed to do. This is not the only reason that parents should be allowed to pick the traits that are passed onto their children. 

Imagine having one child that may not live much longer, the only hope a match of a stem cell, for a transplant. The only match a sibling that didn’t even exist yet. This is called the Savior Sibling. This program using the unborn sibling and chooses the traits that the child has and then using extra blood from the birth and using it as a transplant. This is just like what parents Joe and Dana had to do in order to save their beloved son Carl, who had acute myeloid leukemia (AML). According to AMA journal of Ethics, “ And when it became clear that a stem cell transplant was the best option, and no one they knew was a match, they decided to have another child to supply stem cells for Carl. They went to see Dr. Preed, a reproductive endocrinologist, and began the process of in vitro fertilization (IVF) with preimplantation human leukocyte antigen (HLA) typing in earnest.” This shows that the savior sibling program is very important to help save those that don’t have a chance without the help of and unborn sibling. Allowing parents to pick the traits of their children would help people in the same vote as Joe, Dana, and Carl. 

Some people still may think that this is unethical or costs too much, however parents could prevent disease in their unborn children by using invitro fertilization (IVF). This could save the child in the long run. According to The New York Post, “LaForce and Smith, who are Christian, say the idea of controlling so many factors of conception felt a little “weird” at times, but there was no hesitation if it meant having an HD-free child.” Joe Smith (pitcher for the Astros) and his wife Alice LaForce did not want their child to have Huntington’s disease after seeing how it affected Joe’s family, and sense he has 50% chance of having it as well they didn’t want to see it affect their child. This quote shows that they thought that at sometimes they shouldn’t be doing what they were, but that was put aside in order to have a healthy baby. There are many reasons why a couple may choose to use PGD or IVF to choose the traits of their child. 

Having a child that has a disease or disability that is hereditary can cause any parent to feel responsible for making your child live with a disease. Eliminating diseases, saving a sibling sibling, and it could prevent diseases these are all examples of why parents should be only allowed to opt out of diseases or disabilities. Having a child with an incurable disease or disability can put a toll on any family. Imagine knowing you could have done something about it. You wouldn’t be able to give your child a disease-free life without the help of IVF and PGD. Should parents use treatments such as IVF or Savior sibling to save a child?