Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
provides no direct benefit for the child produced from that embryo, will
hlA typing lead down a slippery slope to eventual testing for other non-
disease traits such as physique, stature, or personality type? if so, is there
anything wrong with using PGD to select for or against certain non-disease
traits? Arguments against using PGD for embryo gender selection also ap-
ply to PGD used for other non-disease traits. for example, such selection
could lead to devaluation of persons with unpopular traits, violate the au-
tonomy of future persons, and encourage treating children as commodi-
ties. some counter these arguments by noting that parents are already
free to give their children advantages in life through music lessons, pri-
vate schooling, travel, or tutors. Adding prenatal genetic advantages, they
argue, should be viewed as just another manifestation of parental love and
care. But these advantages would be available mainly to financially advan-
taged families. over time, embryo selection through PGD could add a ge-
netic component to societal divisions now based mainly on educational,
cultural, and economic factors.
IVF and PGD: Special Issues for Women, Fetuses, and Children
Although PGD allows the genetic diagnosis of embryos before they are in
the womb, it has some disadvantages absent for in utero tests. PGD is more
expensive than Cvs or amniocentesis,
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and it poses unique risks for both
mother and fetus.
ivf-associated risks begin when a woman's ovaries are stimulated with
drugs or hormones to release one to two dozen eggs rather than the normal
monthly ovulation of a single egg. hyperstimulation syndrome can result,
producing hypertension, mood changes, nausea and vomiting, abdominal
pain, and, in 1 to 2 percent of cases, kidney or ovary damage and blood-
clotting disorders. egg retrieval itself, usually done under anesthesia, car-
ries the risks associated with any invasive medical procedure. After em-
bryo transfer, there are risks of an ectopic pregnancy and, when two or
more embryos are transferred, a potential multiple pregnancy.
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The lat-
ter increases rates of preterm labor, miscarriage, premature birth, cere-
bral palsy, and preeclampsia, a life-threatening, hypertensive disorder af-
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