A healthy baby boy was born this week after a “three-parent” conception technique was used to manipulate his DNA.
Fertility specialists from New York, Cincinnati and Britain did the experimental treatment in Mexico. This treatment is not approved in the U.S but is approved in Britain.
This treatment is used when the mother carries a genetic defect that is known to cause Leigh syndrome which is an incurable, progressive disorder where the brain cells gradually die off, causing a range of symptoms. The treatment uses a ‘Second woman’s’ DNA to replace the faulty genetic material, thus producing a child free of the disease.
The woman had four pregnancy losses and two children who died at age 8 months and 6 years from Leigh syndrome and it was essential for her to use this treatment to conceive and give birth. This treatment thus makes use of three persons (and hence called 3 parents) with the mother giving the egg, sperm by the father and replacement DNA from a woman donor.
The doctors have given the basic and essential rundown of the experiment in a brief written summary submitted to a meeting of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine scheduled for mid-October.
‘So are we playing god now’? That is the question people are asking. So, are we? What do you think?
