“Designer baby” is actually a colloquial term, or it started that way. Few scientists ever use it – the word ‘designer’ implies a consumer good, rather than a human being. A designer baby is a child who has been genetically altered in vitro for specific traits, varying anywhere from gender selection, to a lowered risk of disease (Ly). In vitro fertilization ( IVF) is particularly popular among, and intended for, couples who suffer from fertility problems. IVF is the process of combining the gametes outside of the mother’s body, then implanting the now fertilized egg in her. Some couples find preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) to be necessary to insure their egg ( which must be viable) has no genetic diseases prior to implantation – particularly
