The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has advised the Government to permit the use of an IVF technique that would result in the creation of children with three parents.
The recommendations were made in a report published by the HFEA on Wednesday (20 March) and have been passed to Government ministers who will decide whether or not to press ahead with the proposals.
Controversial
The controversial technique, known as “mitochondria replacement therapy”, can only be used for research purposes under current legislation, and involves transferring both parents’ DNA into a donor egg.
Supporters of the therapy claim that it will stop genetic diseases being passed down from mothers to their children through faulty mitochondria, structures which supply power to cells.
Ethical concerns
But the treatment has been heavily criticised for raising serious ethical concerns since any child born using the technique will effectively have three, instead of two, genetic parents.
In a letter to the Times, 40 ethicists have also warned of the possibility of creating genetically modified children in the future should proposals pass into law.
It said: “We believe the benefits to a small number of parents are heavily outweighed by the risks to the child and to society. This would be the first instance of regulatory approval for modification of the human germ line. There is a long-standing international consensus that we should not cross this ethical line, since it is likely to lead to a future of genetically modified 'designer' babies."
Commodifying
Furthermore, 13 doctors and professionals have written to the Guardian warning that the proposals “risk dehumanising and commodifying relationships between children and their parents.”
They added: “It would be the first time such intentional genetic modifications of children and their descendants were expressly permitted and would open the door to further genetic alterations of human beings with unforeseeable consequences.”
The technique has also been criticised for carrying unknown risks and potentially leading to the creation of children with serious abnormalities and defects.
The HFEA claims that its public consultation on the issue showed "general support" for the proposals.
Comment
Andrea Williams, CEO of Christian Concern, said:
“The possibility of having children with same-sex biological parents carries serious ethical implications and emotional risks for children which have not been adequately considered by the HFEA.
“These proposals ultimately encourage a eugenic attitude and pave the way for the genetic modification of children, with all its resultant consequences. Any alterations to the human genome will be permanent, and unexpected genetics problems will be passed down to future generations."
Related stories:
Consultation on three-parent babies launched
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