NEW YORK — The increasing power and accessibility of genetic technology may one day give parents the option of modifying their unborn children, in order to spare offspring from disease or, conceivably, make them tall, well muscled, intelligent or otherwise blessed with desirable traits.

Would this change mean empowering parents to give their children the best start possible? Or would it mean designer babies who could face unforeseen genetic problems? Experts debated on Wednesday evening (Feb. 13) whether prenatal engineering should be banned in the United States.

Humans have already genetically modified animals and crops, said Sheldon Krimsky, a philosopher at Tufts University, who argued in favor of a ban on the same for human babies. ‘But in the hundreds of thousands of trails that failed, we simply discarded the results of the unwanted crop or animal.’

Unknown consequences

Is this a model that society wants to apply to humans, making pinpoint genetic modifications, only to ‘discard the results when they don’t work out?’ Krimsky asked during an Intelligence Squared Debate held in Manhattan. He added that assuming no mistakes will occur would be sheer hubris.

He and fellow ban proponent Lord Robert Winston, a professor of science and society and a fertility expert […]