IVF and Designer Babies

Not long ago, the baby's gender could not be determined before birth and even less so predetermined. But not anymore. So-called designer babies and gender selection are no longer a science fiction. Scientists have found a way to predetermine the baby's sex with relatively high accuracy.

Creation of designer babies for non-medical reasons including gender selection is illegal in most countries including the United States, the European Union, Australia and China. For that reason the gender selection is becoming a growing trend in medical tourism and many couples are prepared to travel great distances and pay the expensive procedure which enables them to choose their baby's sex.

How does it work?

Gender selection is possible due to genetic engineering and in vitro fertilization. Fertility doctors use genetic screening to determine the embryo's sex before they are implanted into the womb. At the same time the embryos can be also checked for certain disease-bearing genes including cancer and diabetes. In case if genes show abnormalities or increased susceptibility for potentially serious diseases in the future, doctors can use genetic modification and in vitro fertilization to create embryos that carry healthy genes only.

Creation of designer babies for non-medical reasons including gender selection is illegal in most countries including the United States, the European Union, Australia and China.

Creation of designer babies, especially predetermination of the baby's sex can even start before the artificial insemination. Scientists at the Genetics & IVF Institute in Fairfax took advantage of the fact that girls have two X chromosomes and that boys have one X and one Y chromosome.

Since the mother has only X chromosomes the gender therefore depends on the father, more specifically his sperm which can carry either the X or Y chromosome. Due to the fact that Y chromosomes have slightly less DNA than X chromosomes the scientists were able to sort the sperm according to gender using a non-toxic dye that is sensitive to light.

Genetic Screening and Gender Selection Only?

Selection of the baby's sex and genetic screening are believed to be only the beginning. The progress in knowledge of the human DNA and advances in genetic technologies are believed lead to true designer babies. Theoretically, the couples in the future might be able to choose between a wide range of baby's characteristics including his/her color of eyes and hair, personality type and even IQ.

What are the implications of Genetic Manipulation?

Should parents be allowed to select gender and perhaps even other characteristics of their baby? Designer babies are a controversial topic but on the other hand, so was the in vitro fertilization when the world find out about it. However, all infertile couples today demand in vitro fertilization. For that reason Lee Silver, a biologist at the Princeton University suggests that gender selection for non-medical reasons may not a big deal after a while.

Can I Choose this Process if I Want It?

At the moment of writing, selection of the baby's gender remains illegal in most parts of the world. Couples who want to predetermine their baby's sex therefore have to fly to countries such as Thailand where gender selection is not illegal although it is not recommended by the Royal Thai College Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

About 4,000 test tube embryos are estimated to be created in Thailand each year making gender selection one of the fastest growing areas in Thailand's medical tourism.