Saturday, July 01, 2006

Clinic Notes: Designing Non-Autistic Babies

Scientists in the UK already have approval to screen embryos for genetic disorders that would shorten life expectancy before implantation. Now ethicists are upset because these scientist want to only use female embryos for implantation in families with a high risk for autism. Since the incidence of autism is four to five times more likely in males than females this would cut the risk considerably. The ethicist argue that such screening procedures will create a society were only perfect children are tolerated. Well I don't know about that. But I do know there will still be plenty of children with autism around, both male and female. http://tinyurl.com/fwgcm