The Three-Person Baby Technique WILL Go Ahead

Since the topic of three-parent babies was broached a year ago, it’s sparked ethical debates and prolific Church figures to argue against it.

The idea, which was made public a year ago, suggests that a break-through new technique could allow babies with three genetic parents to be born.

And today it has been made an actuality, rather than a mere possiblity.

Following a debate in the House of Commons today, 3 February, MPs voted to legalise the fertility technique, making the the UK the only country in the world to allow the procedure.

MPs passed the new regulations under the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act by a margin of 254 votes, allowing the use of a technique called 'mitochondrial donation.'

The first three-person baby could be born as soon as next year.

How The Technique Works
Using the DNA from the parents-to-be and a donor free from certain hereditary diseases, the technique will give more families the chance of having a healthy baby.

It works by removing the nucleus DNA from a healthy female donor’s eggs and replacing it with the nucleus DNA of the prospective mum, either before of after fertilisation.

While the baby will inherit his mum’s nucleus DNA (meaning they’ll look alike), he’ll get the donor’s healthy mitochondrial DNA – saving him, and future generations, from various hereditary diseases.

The baby would technically have two mums and one father, the genetic contribution from the donor’s eggs is tiny – amounting to 0.1 per cent of the baby’s genes.

But there is a fair amount of opposition.

Not Everyone Believes The Technique Should Go Ahead
Some experts believe embroyos shouldn’t be genetically engineered and are against the treatment.

The Catholic and Anglican Churches in England said last week that the idea isn’t safe or ethical and the Human Genetics Alert says the technique would open the door to more genetic modification of children in years to come.

There are also some safety concerns. Dr Ted Morrow, from the University of Sussex, has some apprehensions.

“I have some concerns about the safety,” says Dr Morrow. “I’m really not happy that the reviews [by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority] have been as exemplary as other people think they are.”

But Professor Lisa Jardine, former chair of the HFEA, says all issues have been investigated. “The scientific committees have said there is no evidence this procedure is unsafe but like all good scientists, they say it will require careful progress.”

A midwife has commented on the technique, too, saying, “In principal I don’t have any objection to this at all,” says Lee Wright, senior lecturer in midwifery and women’s health at Birmingham City University.

“It’s one area where genetic manipulation can make a huge difference to a great deal of potential suffering from children with serious disorders.

“The UK has some of the very tightest and most rigorous legislation around the manipulation of human embryos so I am confident that the appropriate legislation to regulate this is already in place.”

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What do you think of the treatment? Would you consider it? Let us know in the comments below.