(STUDY FINDS) – A new survey finds many couples are looking to give their child an edge in life – before they’re even born. Roughly one in three Americans say they would take advantage of both gene editing and polygenic screening to increase their child’s chances of getting into a good college. While this technology has the ability to screen for potential diseases, researchers warn that the time for a discussion about creating genetically-enhanced humans who have a societal edge over other people is now.
Specifically, the poll found that those with college degrees and people under the age of 35 (prime child-bearing age) are more willing to use polygenic embryo screening and in vitro fertilization (IVF) to have a smarter child. Polygenic indexes (or polygenic risk scores) give doctors and parents an estimate of the risk for developing various diseases based on a person’s genes.
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Researchers note that private companies are already working with IVF clinics to help prospective parents choose an embryo that has a lower risk of developing conditions like diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s disease. Some parents are reportedly going even further, uploading their embryos’ genomic data to platforms which make predictions about non-medical traits.
