UK IVF Couples Turn to Dubious 'Smart Baby' Loophole to Pick Healthier, Smarter Kids
Families undergoing In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) in the UK are exploiting a loophole under data protection laws to send their embryo DNA abroad for analysis, allegedly to predict and select genetically superior offspring. The screening technique is banned by British fertility clinics due to scientific and ethical concerns.
The practice involves parents paying £50,000 to a US company called Herasight, which claims to deliver an average gain of six IQ points in children born from the selected embryos. In return for their data, couples receive genetic predictions about traits such as height, health risks, and intelligence quotient.
Critics argue that polygenic testing for embryo selection is unproven, raises concerns about unequal access to 'better' genes and a stratified society, and disregards existing laws governing IVF in the UK. However, under data protection regulations, patients can demand their embryos' raw genetic data without clinics being allowed to use it.
Dr Cristina Hickman, an embryologist at Avenues fertility clinic in London, says that rapid advances in embryo screening have left clinics facing "legal and ethical confusion." Despite her concerns, some couples have expressed willingness to pay for polygenic testing as a means of increasing their chances of producing healthier, smarter children.
In the UK, tests on embryos are limited to serious health conditions. However, if parents bank embryos under data protection laws, they can send them abroad for analysis. This raises questions about accountability and enforcement by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA). While some clinics have raised objections to the practice, others claim that blocking a couple's request would be against medical safety.
Several experts have condemned polygenic testing as unethical. Dr Angus Clarke of Cardiff University says that these companies deal in "murky science" where parents' expectations may not align with the reality of their genetic predictions.
Families undergoing In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) in the UK are exploiting a loophole under data protection laws to send their embryo DNA abroad for analysis, allegedly to predict and select genetically superior offspring. The screening technique is banned by British fertility clinics due to scientific and ethical concerns.
The practice involves parents paying £50,000 to a US company called Herasight, which claims to deliver an average gain of six IQ points in children born from the selected embryos. In return for their data, couples receive genetic predictions about traits such as height, health risks, and intelligence quotient.
Critics argue that polygenic testing for embryo selection is unproven, raises concerns about unequal access to 'better' genes and a stratified society, and disregards existing laws governing IVF in the UK. However, under data protection regulations, patients can demand their embryos' raw genetic data without clinics being allowed to use it.
Dr Cristina Hickman, an embryologist at Avenues fertility clinic in London, says that rapid advances in embryo screening have left clinics facing "legal and ethical confusion." Despite her concerns, some couples have expressed willingness to pay for polygenic testing as a means of increasing their chances of producing healthier, smarter children.
In the UK, tests on embryos are limited to serious health conditions. However, if parents bank embryos under data protection laws, they can send them abroad for analysis. This raises questions about accountability and enforcement by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA). While some clinics have raised objections to the practice, others claim that blocking a couple's request would be against medical safety.
Several experts have condemned polygenic testing as unethical. Dr Angus Clarke of Cardiff University says that these companies deal in "murky science" where parents' expectations may not align with the reality of their genetic predictions.
they're already payin £50k for ivf, and now they wanna shell out even more just to know if their kid's gonna be super smart or whatever? isn't that like, assuming too much about a tiny human?! and what's with the 'selecting' thing? like, we're humans too, right?! 
anyway, i guess its kinda interesting that ppl are willing to do this... but isn't it kinda weird that they're just sendin their embryos off 2 some random US company without anyone checkin if its even legit 
They're sendin' embryo DNA abroad for analysis, and some company's makin' claims about gainin' 6 IQ points 
But critics say it's unproven & raises concerns about unequal access to 'better' genes 
What if this ends up creatin' a stratified society? 
Also, what happens when these parents find out their predictions are wrong? 
, but it's still kinda murky 
. I don't think we should be sendin' our embryos abroad just to try and pick the 'best' traits 
. Can't we just focus on makin' healthy, happy kids instead? 
. What if these companies are takin' advantage of desperate parents? 
it's like they think genetics is some kinda video game where u can just upgrade ur kid's IQ by 6 points lol no way that's not how it works. 
i'm all for parents wanting the best for their kids but this is just soooo extra. 
and what about the ethics of it all? we r talking about embryos here, like tiny tiny human souls. 
shouldn't we be worried about messing with nature a bit more? 
anywayz, i'm lowkey concerned about where this gonna lead. is it just another example of ppl trying to buy their way into a better life? 
like what even is going on here?! so there are these IVF couples in the UK who are paying like 50k to send their embryo DNA to a US company for analysis and supposedly it'll predict their baby's intelligence quotient and stuff 
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. I mean, we're talking about altering the human genome here – it's like tampering with nature itself! 
It's definitely a complicated issue. Maybe we should be focusing on providing more support and resources for families rather than giving them tools to potentially manipulate their kids' genetics... 
and paying £50k for it 
. I'm all for parents wanting the best for their kids, but we need to be careful here 
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. I mean, £50,000 is a lot of money to spend on something that's still considered unproven and raises huge questions about equality and fairness. If parents can just opt out of the existing laws governing IVF in the UK because they're willing to pay for these polygenic tests, then what's stopping them from choosing the "better" genes? It sounds like a recipe for a stratified society where only those who can afford it get to reap the benefits 
. And what about the implications for society as a whole? Are we really gonna end up with a "stratified" population where some people are genetically superior to others? No way, man 
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And what about all those embryos that get 'sent abroad' for analysis... ain't that just a bit dodgy? I mean, who's really holding these companies accountable for this sort of thing? It's a right old gray area, if you ask me... 
also, i'm worried about unequal access to 'better' genes... what if only wealthy ppl can afford these tests? that's just not fair, fam 
. I mean, I get it, who wouldn't want to know if they're having a genius or a brainiac? But paying £50k for a chance at a 6 IQ point boost feels like a lot of risk, you know? And what's the guarantee that these companies are doing it right? It sounds like we're playing genetic roulette 
. Plus, isn't this just another way to label people based on their genes? I don't want my kid to be labeled as "smart" or "average"... they should be valued for who they are, not what DNA they have 
. And what about the ethics of it all? Are we really ready for this kind of decision-making when it comes to our kids' genetic makeup?