Is it wrong to select a deaf embryo?

sandrajo | 09:14 Mon 17th Mar 2008 | Body & Soul

6 Answers

I asked this on another site and got a very mixed response. I was wondering what you good people thought? New fertility legislation will make it illegal to use embryos with a known genetic abnormality in IVF treatment when ones without the same defect are available. Now a deaf couple have turned this on its head: far from wanting a flawless child they actively want a baby which suffers the same hearing difficulties as they themselves.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7287508.stm

Why would someone want to take away a child's ability to hear. Wouldn't it be easier to teach the child sign language than to take away one of their senses?

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daffy654

I think they are wrong to choose to have a deaf child just because they are deaf. The child will grow up to resent them . I do believe children are a blessing whether "perfect" or disabled but then I would say that as I have a child with Asperger Syndrome and he is the apple of my eye and couldn't be more loved! :-)

Octavius

As I understand it they are saying that an embryo should not be ignored/unselected just because it might have a hearing defect.

I think someone is twisting the logic, if you have 2 embryo's one has the deaf gene and one doesn't, they are saying that either should be selected equally, but in all reality such choices might not exist.

A deaf couple would only be able to "select" an embryo with the deaf gene, if such is produced. They would not be able to 'create' a deaf child. This is different.

bednobs

i think in the article they are saying the opposite octavious - that there would in all probability be deaf and hearing embryo's, and the couple want the right to chiose the deaf one, but wont be able to because its against the law

sandrajo

Question Author

Hi Octavius.

The article is stating that they want the right to choose a deaf child, just like other people want the right to choose the sex of their baby. I don't feel it's not their choice and are not giving the child the best start in life. The child would most likely end up resenting both parents later in life, after all the majority of kids leave their parents around about the age of 20i and that child is going to be deaf through no fault of their own!

sandrajo

Question Author

sorry typo, it's meant to read:

The article is stating that they want the right to choose a deaf child, just like other people want the right to choose the sex of their baby. I don't feel it's their choice and feel they are not giving the child the best start in life. The child would most likely end up resenting both parents later in life, after all the majority of kids leave their parents around about the age of 20i and that child is going to be deaf through no fault of their own!

Octavius

Playing devils advocate, but...it would be a life, a child that has grown up and lived. If not selected, then no life.

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