My First Child Has a Genetic Syndrome. Can I Use I.V.F. to Spare My Second?
The New York Times • • health
Key Points:
- A parent of a nearly 3-year-old son diagnosed with cystic-fibrosis-related metabolic syndrome faces an ethical dilemma about using IVF with genetic testing to select embryos without C.F.-associated gene variants for future pregnancies.
- The son is currently asymptomatic and thriving, but children with similar gene combinations have a risk of developing cystic fibrosis by age 8, with varying severity and treatment burden.
- The ethical debate centers on whether embryo selection for reducing disease risk constitutes eugenics or a reasonable health-based choice, with bioethicists noting that choosing embryos without disease risk does not necessarily devalue those living with the condition.
- The "expressivist" concern—that selecting against embryos with certain conditions expresses disfavor toward
