Because of IVF technology breakthroughs, fertility expert Robert Winston is wary of parents demanding for designer babies soon. Winston said that the improvements in IVF could even be a threat in humanity.
The professor who developed major advancements in IVF technology spoke in front of fellow academics at a conference, saying we may have been carried away by the treatments in reproduction. The expert pioneered techniques that identify ailments in embryos and has expressed his fear that the rich would soon be able to design their babies as opposed to the poor who would not be able to pay for it.
Winston talked about a "toxic" mixture of desperation and enthusiasm of couples who are having a hard time conceiving. He suggested standing back from the fast pace of scientific developments they employ and warned that the eugenics resurgence was a real risk. Soon, rich people may afford to enhance not only the looks but also the musical ability, strength and intelligence of their babies.
As per Winston, "The age of eugenics" could fade out as people focus on more important issues such as shortage of food, water, other resources and the climate change threat. The 73-year-old professor said that the increasing market for IVF treatments and the pressure for human quality enhancements could lead to a society where some people may create or possess something that might threaten the humanity.
Being an IVF treatment pioneer, helping to conceive over 10,000 babies to the world, Winston's comments may be controversial among other fertility experts. While medical ethicists appreciated his comments, saying it was very refreshing to see a scientist who can see the bigger picture and be open about potential dangers, fertility groups were angered by it. They said IVF is a lifeline to many and suggesting childless couples want to design their babies was wrong because most of them only want to have a child. They said eugenics is the last thing these patients would think of.
"The law prohibits it, even if it was technically possible," British Fertility Society chairman Dr. Allan Pacey said. "Most infertile couples are desperate for a baby, rather than a specific type of baby, and I don't see that changing."
