Three-parent babies will likely spark concerns over the creation of 'designer babies'. But Michael Rimington, a practising infertility specialist, explains that while there is DNA from three people in the child, the genetic characteristics of the baby are those of the natural mother and father.
The news that Britain could become the first country in the world tocreate babies with the DNA of three people is incredible. Professor Doug Turnbull and his colleagues at Newcastle University, who have been pioneering this technique, have done some brilliant work and should be congratulated.
We knew there was a chance we could have 'three-parent babies' a few years back, but to see it actually come to fruition (if the proposals pass a public consultation) is stunning.
What this means is that mothers who would otherwise be likely to have unhealthy babies with severe disabilities can instead give birth to healthy babies.
What it does not mean is that this is the start of so-called 'designer babies'. Anyone who says so does not fully understand the technology. There is no way that this technique can influence the eye colour, hair colour or any other external characteristic or make-up of the baby beyond what the mother and father's DNA would do on their own.
The technique simply provides a host egg to contain the genetic material from the mother's egg, either before or after fertilisation by the father. The host egg really is just that – a host – because its nucleus – the part that determines the genetic make-up of a human being – would be entirely removed before the procedure took place. The host egg no longer contains its own nuclear DNA. What you're left with is an empty, functioning 'shell', which will be filled with the mother's genetic material.
Some people view the technique as controversial because it involves 'germ line' modification of the embryo's DNA. This means some mitochondrial DNA will be passed on from the third party to the child, and to future generations as well.
But this is healthy mitochondrial DNA that will simply replace the unhealthy mitochondrial DNA that would have caused health problems for the baby. Health problems that in some cases can be fatal. This is NOT the nuclear DNA – i.e. no DNA that actually influences the child's genetic exterior make-up will be passed on.
So yes, there is DNA from three people in the child, but the genetic characteristics of the child are those of the natural mother and father.
I like to explain it using the example of a laptop with a dying battery. You may replace the battery but where does the energy actually come from?
The emotional stress of caring for and then losing much-wanted children cannot be trivialised. Our moral arbiters would have you believe the scientific community has been sliding down the slippery slope of moral decline for many years, when in reality it is they who are out of touch with society’s aspirations and hopes.
This pioneering work to prevent potentially fatal disease and to give couples an opportunity to have healthy babies is to be applauded.
Although more detailed regulation is required, following public consultation, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority broadly supports this work and rightly so. There is no reason to think this new technique is not safe. It is, however, as always, incumbent upon all involved to ensure the treatment is safe for all parties involved, primarily the children.
Mr Rimington gained his accreditation as a consultant obstetrician & gynaecologist in 1997 then quickly entered full time private practice as an infertility specialist. His area of special interest is the management of women with polycystic ovarian disease, on which subject he has published widely. In 2004 he joined with Mark Wilcox to form the South East Fertility Clinic and set up a new assisted conception service in Tunbridge Wells. He is the designated Person Responsible for the unit as registered with the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority.
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