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Screening IVF Babies For Defects Poised to Leap to Whole New Level

Children identified with potential to develop particular disease usually aborted

By Gudrun Schultz

GREAT BRITAIN, January 6, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) –Screening unborn babies for birth defects is poised to leap to a whole new level. Research by British scientists suggests it will soon be possible to screen human embryos for thousands of genetic disorders.

In most cases, current screening techniques are carried out on babies conceived through in vitro fertilization (IVF), before the child is implanted in the womb. In such cases, a child carrying a recognized genetic disorder is “discarded.”

The new procedure builds upon existing methods of testing babies, conceived in vitro, for disease before they are implanted in the womb. These advances in genetic screening are limited to children conceived through IVF techniques.

A study issued by the U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC) shows improved estimates of birth defect frequencies in the U.S. population. The study has provided more accurate estimates of the rates of 18 major birth defects. 

While the study states that the purpose of improving estimate accuracy is to help prevent birth defects, in fact pre-natal screening for disorders usually results in death by abortion for the children who are identified with the potential to develop a particular disease. In the U.S. 90% of all children with Down’s syndrome are aborted. In Canada the number is 85%.

While present testing methods have been able to identify close to 150 disorders, there are about 6,000 disorders caused by single-gene mutations that could potentially be identified with new technology. Currently, scientists can only test for known variations of genetic mutations, such as cystic fibrosis, and then only if the particular strain has been previously identified.

Having a genetic potential for a certain disease in no way means certain development of the disorder. Many people in full health carry in their genes potential for disease that never develops.

Research has shown that IVF babies have a dramatically increased likelihood of carrying birth defects. Recent studies from the United States, Finland and Australia, to name a few, show as high as 40% incidence of genetic disorders in IVF babies.

In October 2005, Health Canada spokesman Bill Maga said the department plans to introduce genetic screening to IVF clinics in May 2006.

The New Eugenics: Latest Advance in Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis Extolled
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2004/jan/04012910.html

Genetic Screening of Embryos to be “Regulated” by Health Canada
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2005/oct/05100504.html

42% of IVF Ova Carry Genetic Abnormalities New Studies Show
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2005/oct/05101905.html

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