Government Dysgenics in Britain

The perils of allowing a government to interfere in a family's reproductive decisions is perfectly exemplified in this horrific story in The New Scientist. Britain's creepily named Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority forbade the Whitaker family from using preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) as a way to have a healthy child who might be able to help their first child Charlie. Charlie will die from a genetic blood disease unless he receives an appropriate transplant.

Desperate, the parents came to the United States where PGD is still legal. The hope is that the umbilical cord stem cells from Charlie's newborn sibling James will be immunologically compatible. If so the stem cells can be transplanted as a way to cure Charlie of his disease. Please note that taking stem cells from James' umbilicus in no way endangers or harms him.

Unfortunately, there are many influential voices like Frank Fukuyama in the United States that think that Britain's HFEA is a great model for regulating and reining in biogenetic medical advancements. Frighteningly enough, as the Whitaker case shows, they know what they're talking about.