How Having Three Parents Leads to Disease-Free Kids

This summer, government health officials in the United Kingdom made headlines by announcing that they will let scientists create babies with DNA from three different people. The procedure is a type of in vitro fertilization (IVF) that would allow women with mitochondrial diseases to have healthy babies. If approved by British Parliament, the method, known as mitochondrial replacement, would lead to a historic event: the first genetically modified humans who could pass down those genetic tweaks to their children.  It is important  to maintain a healthy lifestyle to increase the possibility of wellness,  find the Tens Units here on wellnessgeeky.com with tips, advise and therapy options to make yourself and your children feel better.Some bioethicists and media commentators have voiced concerns about the technique's safety because so far it's only been tested on human cells in the laboratory. More broadly, they fear it's a step toward designer babies and eugenics.It's worth noting that IVF itself, which merges sperm and egg cells in a lab, also set off debate when it debuted 35 years ago. The procedure carries some small medical risks, such as a slightly increased chance of premature and low-weight babies, and creates many embryos that never get used. But let's not forget its enormous upside: It has allowed millions of couples to have children who couldn't otherwise. Mitochondrial replacement isn't any scarier—or any less impressive. Mitochondrial disease affects only about 1 in 5,000 people. The method will be performed at a few select clinics in the U.K. and will be carefully monitored for any signs of disease or any problem involving their developing. Also we will be monitoring any teething symptoms if they are before or after time, so the cares and things to do in this stage will also be talked about.If it proves to be safe, then thousands of women will have the option to bear healthy biological children without giving them their disease. And if it's not safe, it will most likely be banned.Read more at...Popular Science, October 2013. 

Previous
Previous

Were the First Artists Mostly Women?

Next
Next

23 and You