Choosing the sex of ur baby!

Today it is possible to choose the sex of the embryo using advanced reproductive techniques during IVF. Doctors can do this using one of two methods. The first method is to sort out a sample of the father's sperm and only fertilise the egg with either 'male' sperm or 'female' sperm. The second method is Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD), which is used to screen-out embryos likely to have a genetic disease.

PGD takes place during IVF where the sperm fertilises the egg in a "test-tube" in a laboratory. The fertilised egg grows for a few days before a single cell is removed and tested to find out either the sex of the embryo or if abnormal genes are present. Surprisingly, removing one cell does not seem to affect the embryo's development.





Determining the sex of an embryo can be useful because some genetic diseases, like haemophilia and Duchenne [url=javascript:bioDictionary('1','Muscular Dystrophy')]Muscular Dystrophy[/url], only show themselves in male babies. If the parents have a history of male-related disease, then techniques such as PGD, can be used. Doctors then choose a healthy female embryo without the faulty gene and implant this into the mother's womb to grow into a healthy baby.
In most countries sex selection is only permitted to avoid diseases that are linked to a certain sex. In Britain it is illegal to select the sex of a child just because the parents want either a boy or a girl.

Would love to know what u guys think of this. I have friends who strongly believe and disagree with this subject. My self i think it all depends. I do not agree with being able to choose the sex of ur child! The sex of ur child is determinded by the male sperm and i dont agree that this sould be fussed with.

I wonder how u all think?

Alice xx

I think it all depends on circumstance. If its just solely down to parents wanting a girl or a boy, then no i dont think its right to play with nature in this way. If its because of a genetic reason or there is a life/death reason why a boy or girl is needed then i think thats different xx

If it was for a medical or genetical reason then yes I agree, but if its just because they wanted a boy/girl well no sorry I couldnt agree.

same as Lou x

no no no! it wouldnt be fair, One sex would end up taking over the world...

I was thinking, even if it was for a gentic reason would it be fair? Just having a child to help another? Putting the child that is produced through the pain and discomfort of recieveing stem cells, blood or bone marrow to help another? Is that fair? Hum i really dont know. To bring another child in to the world and to tell them they were made to just help another, i think if that was me id feel a little unloved.

Its such a hard debate.......

Alice wrote:

I was thinking, even if it was for a gentic reason would it be fair? Just having a child to help another? Putting the child that is produced through the pain and discomfort of recieveing stem cells, blood or bone marrow to help another? Is that fair? Hum i really dont know. To bring another child in to the world and to tell them they were made to just help another, i think if that was me id feel a little unloved.

Its such a hard debate.......

this is a really tough one...but i guess it does depend on who the parents are.

If Sophie had a genetic problem and her life was at risk then as a parent i would do everything in my power to help her......and if it meant having another baby then i would definetely consider it. The decision wouldnt be taken lightly - of course i would want to find out what the new child would have to go through and really think about how i would feel about having another child. Of course it wouldnt be fair for the new child to have to go through a lot of suffering just to save their siblings life...it really is tricky. To me i would love the child just as much and they would be extra special in a way as they would have done something amazing for their brother or sister.

Anyway any couple who have gone on to have another child mainly for the reason of saving their other child im sure doesnt see it as "just helping the other" and they no doubt adore that child just as much. If i had another child mainly for this reason then there is no way would i make them feel thats the only reason they are here but more importantly that i love them and they are much wanted and are extra special for the way they have helped their sibling. xx

Very true Tasha, Thankyou so much for putting in those terms, Its made me think diffrently. I find it hard to get my head round things sometime (Stupid i know) and this topic was one. But u just put it in a good way for me to understand.

Alice xxx

I personally don't think you should be able to choose the sex of your baby unless its for medical reasons, some ladies can't carry a particular sex or a certain disease gene follows down to certain sexes with some people, if that makes sense.

Yes it does hun x

I am going to put the cat amongst the pidgeons!!!!
I think there is a place for choosing the sex of the baby. I had 3 girls and wanted a boy..I did not any more than 4 pregnancies..health reasons. I would have paid to choose the sex.
Genetic reasons I also think there is a place...you test for spina bifidi and downs risk when pregnant...So what is the difference if you know you have some congenital conditions that happen in a certain sex.
I don't necessarily agree with having a child to give another child something. You are dictating what is going to happen to that childs life and possibly the pain from operations etc.

Alice - I'm glad you know what i'm talking about!

I knew what I wanted to say but i'm not very good at explaining things.

Alice wrote:

Very true Tasha, Thankyou so much for putting in those terms, Its made me think diffrently. I find it hard to get my head round things sometime (Stupid i know) and this topic was one. But u just put it in a good way for me to understand.

Alice xxx

thats ok...it is a tricky debate....to put another spin on it - i was watching a programme tonight about children in china and the 1 child rule. Boys are the favoured sex in china - i was thinking that if chinese people could chose the sex of their children would it mean less abandoned/unwanted babies that are girls? of course i feel it would be a disaster if this came into practice in china as i think that the majority of chinese people would chose to have a boy but equally it did make me wonder i am very lucky in having one of each so its hard for me to understand just how frustrating it may be for people who have just boys or girls and are desperate for the boy or girl they have never had. My mum had 5 boys before my sister was born. She said she would never have had any more children if she had had a girl first time round. I found this really sad as surely whatever the sex of the child they are a blessing...but i can see pats point x

Amy wrote:

I personally don't think you should be able to choose the sex of your baby unless its for medical reasons, some ladies can't carry a particular sex or a certain disease gene follows down to certain sexes with some people, if that makes sense.

I knew what u meant too hun dont worry i have the same problem sometimes with trying to express what i want to say correctly so people will understand - but i understood what you were saying :)xx