UK law lords uphold ‘designer babies’ decision News
UK law lords uphold ‘designer babies’ decision

[JURIST] The UK House of Lords [official website] on Thursday upheld an appeals court ruling [BBC News report] that the creation of "designer babies" to treat siblings with genetic disorders was allowed. Five law lords unanimously ruled that the Human and Fertilization and Embryology Authority [official website] could allow tissue typing treatment. The decision stemmed from a 2003 case in which the parents of a six-year-old with the fatal genetic disorder beta thalassaemia major sought to have another baby with the same tissue type that could help treat the child with blood transfusions. An advocacy group, Comment on Reproductive Ethics [advocacy website], sought to stop the government from authorizing such procedures. Read the Lords' full opinion. The Guardian has more.