Question

What are some of the benefits of technological advances in diagnosis and treatment before birth? What are a few moral issues stemming from this technology? In your view, are these technological advances mostly beneficial or mostly problematic? Why?

Answer 1

• Prenatal diagnostic tests are currently available that permit the detection of a variety of genetically based disorders like Tay-Sachs disease,cystic fibrosis,breast cancer etc.
• Helping people cope with these genetic vulnerabilities of this kind is an important role for psychologists.
• In some cases,technological advances have made it possible to to treat some of these diseases before birth.
• Some of the genes for breast cancer have been identified and tests are now available to determine whether genetic suspectibility is present.
• Pre-natal diagnosis are being used by couples wishing to have a healthy child.But many opponents believe in the preservation of life,and until we come up with cures to treat genetic diseases,terminating lives of fetus before birth will be present.
• Prenatal diagnosis combined with the option of terminating pregnancy raises two issues;selective breeding, and value judgments
• Selective breeding means abortion as a means of eradicating a disease by terminating an entire population that does not fit into the society.
• Value judgments is another problem wherein people are choosing to abort a child if they have birth defect no matter what the severity is.
• Its important to use prenatal tests to determine severe abnormalities in a fetus. Until effective treatments are available,testing is necessary.
• New diagnostic and prevention techniques will help to detect genes leading to disease.
• Public education and counseling would be necessary to make people understand about the new genetic concepts.
• Rather than taking away the life of a helpless child,lets try to find a solution and bring them into the world.