Annotated Bibliography for Designer Babies

Ball, P. (2017, January 08). Designer babies: an ethical horror waiting to happen? Retrieved

October 30, 2017, from https://www.theguardian.com/science/2017/jan/08/designer-

babies-ethical-horror-waiting-to-happen.

This article conveys what are the bad facts of playing with the genetic material. We

all thought that designing a human being was just a crazy idea because back in the

days it was impossible to determine the sex of the babies. However, the technology

is one of the most important instruments for research, and now is questioning if God

is the only one that can create and design humans. The article states that designing a

baby is not for the purpose of health is more about attracting consumers. This

process of designing a baby would have an expensive cost that not all the families

will be able to pay, going back to the point where this is only for business more than

heath. I can use this article because I support the idea of designing a baby, but only

to the families that their son will have any health issues and this mention how the

science is doing it for the money rather than help.

Begley, S. (2016, March 09). Harvard poll: Americans say no to designer babies. Retrieved

October 30, 2017, from https://www.statnews.com/2016/02/11/stat-harvard-poll-

gene-editing.

This document informs what most of the Americans think about the topic, that most

of the cases they oppose to this modification on the gene even if is to prevent

serious inherited diseases. She also provides quotes about the professor Robert

Blendon in a relation of the topic and what the Americans might think of designing
 a baby. She communicates what the benefits of this procedure can have and also

gives a chart where over 1000 Americans were interviewed about certain topics of

genetics that have relevance to the topic. This information can be used in my paper

because it provides me with specific data within the U.S.; additionally, she mentions

some of the genetic disorder that can be prevented by changing the genes.

Bliss, J. (2012). Designer babies. London: Raintree.

The book Designer Babies by John Bliss mention how the work of designing a

baby is done and also provides an example of a woman that had given birth to

octuplets which mean give birth to eight babies at the same time. The book also

provides the reader with some institutes that have done this type of work, and

mention how they make the process. Although most of the person who decides to go

through this process are families that cant have babies on their own or couples that

are homosexual, there are people that thinks this is unethical because the life starts

with conception and during the procedure of fertilization several eggs are fertilized

but they just keep the one that contains the specific traits killing the rest. This book

is useful in my documents because it provides some examples that I can use, also

give some techniques that the scientist use to get the specific baby.

Darnovsky, M. (2014, February 23). Genetically Modified Babies. Retrieved October 30,

2017, from https://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/24/opinion/genetically-modified-

babies.html?_r=0.

The new allude how the scientists are focused on the designer babies because they

want to stop the inheritable mitochondrial disease because they expect that 1,000 to
 4,000 children in the United State will develop the mitochondrial disease. Besides,

she mentions how the process will work and how some states may reconsider their

thoughts about this topics. Moreover, it is conveyed that this process has already be

done with monkeys, however, the science will not know what alterations the next

generations may have. This is important to my paper because it mentions some

procedures to get this modification in the gene, additionally, it gives one illness that

is the start point for this modification. Furthermore, explain that the scientists are

doing this changes in the gene to prevent the babies to get genetic deformations

which support my paper.

Staff, S. (2017, November 04). Gujarat: We need designer babies who can win Nobel and

Change the world, says top health official. Scroll.in. Retrieved October 30, 2017,

from https://scroll.in/latest/856755/gujarat-we-need-designer-babies-who-can-win-

nobel-and-change-the-world-says-top-health-official.

The new demonstrate how the interest for the designer babies is growing around the

world. It is also showed how some people are thinking of producing babies that can

change the world, babies that can give a lot of support to the science because they

will be designed to have more intelligence than a regular human. It is important to

mention that in the new all they conveyed was in favor of science leaving behind the

monetary reasons. I found this relevant to the paper because it mentions how the

topic Designer Babies is really broad and how some people things how to

improve the humans can give too much support to the science.

Steere, M. (2008, October 30). Designer babies: Creating the perfect child. Retrieved
 October 30, 2017, from

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/TECH/science/10/30/designer.babies/index.htm.

This article provides a background of how the Scientists started working with the

genetic material. In the article is stated that technology nowadays allows the

scientist to make more experiments with the genetic material, the things that began

with the study of the genetic material more in-depth were when the scientists could

determine the sex of the fetus, and also predict if the baby could have any genetic

disorder. The document mention some thoughts of other scientists and institutes

about the topic of designing a baby, and also discusses how in the future the science

would be able to cure any genetic disorder by removing the affected DNA and

implanting a healthy peace of DNA. This can be used because it provides the

thoughts of scientists and institutes about this topic and also provides with some

background when the scientist started working with the genetic material.

The ethical dilemma of designer babies. [Video file]. (2015, October). Retrieved October

30, 2017, from

https://www.ted.com/talks/paul_knoepfler_the_ethical_dilemma_of_designer_babie

s.

In the video the presenter provides an example were he differentiate two kids, one

being born naturally and the other one born by the specific genetic material he

highlights how the designer baby is smarter, with a better shape and a better athlete,

meanwhile the natural baby has none of this aptitudes. He also mentions how some

people may think this is unethical and how in some countries the thought of
 modifying genetic material is wrong. Also, explains that there are not good reasons

to call this unethical because he provides the example of Japan where the families

can only have one kid which avoid other babies to be born. Furthermore mention

that the babies will be superior to a regular human because they wouldnt get sick,

however, he expressed that the genetic modifications would be only for those who

can pay the scientist to do this. This is related to my paper because it expresses the

differences between the normal babies and the modified, and also because it

provides with information that not all the countries support this modification on

babies.

Yong, E. (2017, August 2). The Designer Baby Era Is Not Upon Us. Retrieved October

30, 2017, from https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2017/08/us-scientists-

edit-human-embryos-with-crisprand-thats-okay/535668/.

The article from Young relates important facts about the designer babies which

convey that the first experiment started with monkeys when the scientist

Kazakhstani cloned monkeys. Also, is mentioned that Japan was the first country

that tried modifying the genetic material of a baby. It also provides background

information of embryos that have been edited before to give a better idea of the

steps this process has to follow in order to be successful. Furthermore tell about

countries that do not allow this process, but allow the modification of food. As a

fact, nothing in this life is perfect this changes in the genetic material has also

limitations. This is an article that will help my paper to be complete because it

provides with plenty information about the designer babies, it also can be found in
the paper the pros and cons of doing this modification in the gene and if the people

should consider doing this.