Cancerfree baby

The first British baby that was scanned before the conception is born in a London clinic. Mother and daughter are doing very well.

The baby is free of the BRCA1 gene, which gives a carrier 50-85% chance to get breast cancer sooner or later in her life. In the past, doctors already managed to scan embryos on other inherited disorders like cystic fibrosis and Huntington's disease but the fact that they scanned for the BRCA1 gene is a medical breakthrough. The screening tests were conducted on 11 embryos, of which 2 were found negative on the BRCA1 gene and these were planted, resulting in a single pregnancy.

Although it's very pleasant for the baby girl and for the parents who are now sure they didn't transmit the disorder onto their baby, the question rises whether this is ethically permittable. To some this may seem that one step closer to building the perfect baby.

Reaction:
I think it's a beautiful ending for what must have been a stressed out period for the parents. The ethical question however is one I can relate to very well, because I haven't decided yet whether I find these kinds of operations ethical. Sure it is convinient for the parents and the baby but what is next? For all I know you'll be able to choose the colour of your baby's eyes and the size of their feet, modeling your child even before it is 'made'. It brings a lot of advantages but I still believe letting nature do its thing. As I said before, I haven't decided...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2009/jan/10/pgd-baby-debate-breast-cancer