The creation of PGD was developed first by Edwards and Gardner, who successfully performed the first known embryo on rabbit embryos in 1968 (Dayal 1). "In Humans, PGD was developed in the United Kingdom in the mid 1980s as an alternative to current prenatal diagnoses" (Dayal 1). PGD was first reported in 1990. Since then over 1 5,000 PGD cycles have been reported since 2006 and are available for most known genetic mutation, but the technique still remains fairly new (Dayal 1). PGD is recommended for couples that are at risk of transmitting a known genetic abnormality to their children.
Only healthy and normal embryos are transferred into the mother''s uterus, thus diminishing the risk of inheriting a genetic abnormality and late pregnancy termination" (Dayal 2). Indications or primary candidates for PGD include chromosomal disorders, gender determination for severe X-Iinked diseases, severe monogenic diseases, recurrent pregnancy loss, advanced maternal age, couples with >3 IVF failures, epididymal or testicular sperm aspiration with >1 IVF failures (Law 4). PGD requires special skills to perform.
However, the process starts with Ovarian Stimulation IVF, and then on day 3 there is blastomere biopsy. After that there is a genetic analysis, following the transfer of the unaffected embryo and then the outcome of the chromosomally normal baby (Law 6). There are many advantages and disadvantages when it comes to this technique, PGD. "The benefits PGD are increased implantation rate, reduction in pregnancy losses, reduction in the chance of having a child with aneuploidy, and it reduces the possibility of having to choose to terminate the pregnancy following a diagnosis of a probably genetic disorder" (Law 9).
Moreover, "prenatal testing for genetic diseases is urrently performed through amniocentesis or chronic villus testing, when the fetus is aged 10-16 weeks" (Dayal 5). If the examination discovers a genetically defective fetus, the only option the pregnant mother has is to have a child with a genetic disease or to undergo a pregnancy termination, which is an extremely difficult procedure, however PGD is performed before pregnancy and can avoid this decision (Dayal 5).
PGD allows couples to have children free of their particular genetic disease, and "to date there are no reports of increased fetal malformation rates or other dentifiable problems" (Dayal 5). Conversely, there are more disadvantages to PGD. The risks or PGD include embryo damage, misdisgnosis, IVF risks, not achieving pregnancy, expense, and labor intensive (Law 10). "PGD can only detect a specific genetic disease in an embryo. It cannot detect many genetic disorders at a time and cannot guarantee that the tetus will not nave an unrelated birth detect" (Law Nonetheless, Pre-implantation Genetic Disorders arise controversies in Eugenics. Eugenic indication became especially significant once prenatal diagnosis technologies were refined" (Bashford 546). PGD helps Eugenics reach a disease-free society, which is desirable for all. This assures Eugenicists in getting rid of the "feebleminded" or "unfit" population. Ruth Schwartz Cowan found the history of fetal sex identification through amniocentesis and its use by Danish researchers to sex- linked hemophilia in 1959 (Bashford 546). This new knowledge could be "applied" because of the preexisting eugenic indication for legal abortion: the Danish 1938 eugenic law permitted abortion if there was a risk that the child would be born with "severe and non-curable abnormality of physical disease. Where eugenic abortion laws were not available, the imperative to terminate pregnancy, in light of the new diagnostic capacity, drove abortion''s legalization, as much as did women''s arguments for reproductive choice" (Bashford 546).
This clearly states how well PGD is connected to eugenics in allowing women to choose the type of child they "ideally'' want and to terminate the children born with genetic disorders. Conversely, PGD is seen as wrong to others because of religious points of view that life starts at conception. "Able- bodied people tend to underestimate the quality of life of disabled people. The ajority do not wish that they had never been born, they and their families value their existence and contributions to society'' (The History of Eugenics and the New Eugenics, 22).
In addition, PGD to some seems wrong because they believe society will become susceptible to new viral and bacterial infections. In conclusion, the future and legacy of eugenics lives on. PGD is Just one technique that is a future eugenic indication. The first intention of PGD was solely to be used to prevent genetic disorders. "PGD holds great promise for the future as techniques and genetic tests are perfected, and it may become routine in the next ew 12). PGD is reliable procedure in preventing the birth of affected children (Law 13). PGD of aneuploidy is effective and results in a high take home baby rate when implemented in certain categories or patients and despite the efficiency of PGD technique, conventional prenatal diagnosis is still required by most PGD laboratories" (Law 13). Today, PGD is currently used by some to pick the sex of the child and also offered is the chance to increase the odds for getting specific traits as in eye color, hair color, etc. "As preimplantation screening for medical disorders at he embryonic level optimizes, its place in medicine and society will continue to generate controversy and ethical debate" (Dayal 5).
Overall, PGD has become a huge milestone in eugenics and assisted reproductive technology. Bashford, Alison, and Philippa Levine. The Oxford Handbook of the History of Eugenics. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2012. Print. Dayal, Molina B. "Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis. N. p. , 4 Nov. 2013. Web. 28 Nov. 2013.. Law, Gad. "New England Fertility Institute: Lifeline Cryogenics" Print. "The History of Eugenics and the New Eugenics :The ethics of BioTechnologY'' Print.
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