BRITAIN: Parliament OK’s Lab Procedure For Creation Of Three-Parent Babies

Via BBC News:

MPs have voted in favour of the creation of babies with DNA from two women and one man, in a historic move. The UK is now set to become the first country to introduce laws to allow the creation of babies from three people. In a free vote in the Commons, 382 MPs were in favour and 128 against the technique that stops genetic diseases being passed from mother to child. During the debate, ministers said the technique was “light at the end of a dark tunnel” for families. A further vote is required in the House of Lords. It everything goes ahead then the first such baby could be born next year. Proponents said the backing was “good news for progressive medicine” but critics say they will continue to fight against the technique that they say raises too many ethical and safety concerns.

The Telegraph is very unhappy:

If people can pick and choose key characteristics of their children, what will this mean? It’s likely that we’ll see a sharp fall in the disabled – a troubling prospect as it suggests they are somehow less worthy. And will people also seek to control skin colour, eye colour, hair colour, or even something as uneasily defined as sexual orientation? Do we really want to live in a society of designer babies? Aside from the prospect being horrifically dystopian, it also risks reducing natural variation in the human race – which is critical to its adaptation and survival. If fashion dictates that certain characteristics should be eliminated, that could negatively affect future generations.

We’ll probably get blamed for this.