Britain Becomes First Country To Authorize 'Three-Parent Baby'; Critics Raise Ethical Concerns
The country might have been struggling on the political front, thanks to the Brexit tug-of-war, but in the domain of health science, Britain is set to scale a new height as it will become the first country to legally provide "three-parent baby" fertility treatments. The first baby born out of this technique is expected to be breathing on this planet in 2017.
The technique which uses DNA from two women and a man would replace abnormal genes in the mitochondria to see the birth of children free of illness. The treatment sees the involvement of embryo receiving the "nuclear" DNA from the mother and father and also certain amount of healthy mitochondrial DNA from another female.
In February, the country had voted to allow the treatment which uses in-vitro fertilization although clinics required to get licenses from the Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority (HFEA). HFEA chair Sally Cheshire said it's a "decision of historic importance" but also added that they would deal with the matter cautiously.
In November, an independent body of experts suggested that the practice should be adopted "cautiously" so that certain genetic diseases did not affect future generations. Mitochondrial diseases include symptoms like poor eyesight to diabetes to muscle wasting and officials estimate that around 125 babies are born in Britain every year with transformation. However, Britain is not the first country to see a baby being conceived through this technique. It was Mexico where it happened but Britain has become the first country to officially endorse it.
There have also been voices against it. Critics felt it was meddling with genes and an ambition of playing the role of God. They said that the move could lead to "designer babies" though Cheshire refuted the charges that it was against the ethics of genetics and defended by saying the decision was taken based on the study of scientists of international reputation. She also said the matter has been extensively debated in the parliament.
