Talk:GRSJ224/Designer Babies

What an awesome topic and provocative name. There is kind of a superstitious assumption of an inherent "naturalness" to childbirth. The idea that a debate could break out as to whether "GMO babies" are "fair" or "natural" or not is compelling.

Since genetically modifying an unborn infant is a form of enhancement, most likely gated by economic status, the ethical issues at hand are extremely interesting. While a good home and educated parents are kind of natural enhancements to the development of a child over time, I could see people seeing a kind of unfairness in who can enhance, and who cannot, either through biological eligibility, access to medical or monetary resources, and even ableism. How would it feel if you, as a grown adult, were sustainably coping with some deficiency that any baby's parent who could afford to was editing out of their genetic profile? What if you, as an enhanced baby, grew up to dislike the specific enhancements you'd been given without consultation - would we then deal with a social problem of genetic dysphoria?

In any case, this is a really cool topic! I wish I'd hit on it first...