A friend of mine sent this to me today… interesting stuff regarding sex selection of your newborn…
\n
\nSubject: The Word Spy for 05\/14\/2003 — family balancing
\nDate: Wed, 14 May 2003 01:45:31 -0400<\/p>\n
family balancing pp.<\/p>\n
Attempting to select the sex of a baby to achieve an even or desired
\nnumber of children of both sexes.<\/p>\n
Example Citation
\n———————————
\nThe Laguna Hills clinic, which is a joint effort with the Huntington
\nReproductive Center of Southern California, offers sex selection for
\ntwo purposes: to help couples avoid passing on a gender-linked
\ngenetic disease and to allow families who already have a child of one
\ngender “balance” their families by having a baby of the opposite
\nsex.<\/p>\n
The technology is still experimental; couples using the method will
\ndo so as part of a clinical trial overseen by the Food and Drug
\nAdministration. However, Blauer says the company has impressive
\nsuccess rates; 91% of the women who become pregnant after sorting for
\na girl are successful, while 76% who sort for a boy and get pregnant
\nare successful. …<\/p>\n
While the Meissners wished to avoid passing on a genetic disease, 86%
\nof the MicroSort’s clients so far have used the method for “family
\nbalancing,” with most of them seeking girls.
\n–Shari Roan, “A way to choose a baby’s gender,” Los Angeles Times,
\nMarch 3, 2003<\/p>\n
More info available at: http:\/\/www.microsort.net\/<\/p>\n
Backgrounder
\n———————————
\nFamily balancing has been much in the news of late because of its
\ninherent ethical implications. The biggest issue comes from a
\ntechnique called preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) in which an
\negg is harvested, fertilized with sperm, and then screened for
\ncertain genetic characteristics. If the embryo has the
\ncharacteristics the parents want (or if it lacks certain
\ncharacteristics, such as a genetic disease carried by one or both
\nparents), then it’s implanted in the mother’s womb and the pregnancy
\nproceeds normally. The problem lies in the opposite case: if the
\nembryo doesn’t have the required characteristics (or has the
\ndisease). In this case, the embryo is often destroyed and another egg
\nis chosen. This rejection of “unsuitable” embryos makes many people
\nuneasy, particularly when the rejection is based on non-life
\nthreatening criteria, such as the embryo’s sex.<\/p>\n
The good news is that a new technique — called MicroSort (see the
\nexample citation) — has been developed that eliminates embryo
\ndestruction. This technique attempts to sort sperm into two groups:
\nthose carrying the X-chromosome and those carrying the Y-chromosome.
\nIf your family balancing requires a girl, then the X-chromosome sperm
\nare used to fertilize the egg; if a boy is preferred, the
\nY-chromosome group is sent into action.<\/p>\n
Earliest Citation
\n———————————
\nBut for every new medical achievement there are potentially troubling
\nissues. It is now possible through preimplantation genetic testing to
\nscreen for devastating hereditary diseases such as Tay-Sachs and
\ncystic fibrosis. But what about someday screening for conditions like
\nblindness or deafness, which are hardly life threatening but
\nnevertheless affect the quality of life? Who determines whether
\nembryos with genetic defects should be used or not? Is it wrong to
\nallow only perfect babies to be born?<\/p>\n
How about screening for the “right” sex? Dr. Schulman of the Genetics
\n& IVF Institute says his clinic does not offer gender selection. But
\nhe says he can see its application in “family balancing.” Says
\nSchulman: “If a family has three children of one sex, would it really
\nbe so wrong to help bring about the birth of the opposite sex?” No
\ndoubt plenty of people would say yes.
\n–Susan Caminiti, “The ordeal of infertility,” Fortune, August 8,
\n1994<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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