Designer Deaf Babies

[Levonian]

I found this while I was looking for information about something somebody had posted in another thread. It’s about a childless couple who sought out sperm from a congenitally deaf man in order to deliberately produce a deaf child. As you might expect, they have received heavy criticism from hearing people because of it. This story is about a year and a half old, so many of you might already know about it. I think almost everybody here would agree that there was nothing immoral or unethical about the couple’s behavior. Instead, they should be commended for bringing public attention to this issue and for opening the door to other Deaf couples who want to do the same thing.

http://www.deafgene.info/designer.htm

 

[Cheri]

That is a very interesting story. Never knew that exit the first place. Amazing! Thanks for sharing this Levonian!

 

[deafdyke]

I remember hearing about this, and it cracked me up...it sounded like a headline from the Onion or something! My parents (who are hearing) thought it was wicked funny too. I mean you hear all those stories about wealthy yuppies advertising in Ivy League magazines for egg donors with extremely high requirements (eg must be tall, white, beatiful, have a high IQ, score wicked high on the SATS and all that stuff) and we have a couple who really wants a deaf/disabled baby. I do wish they'd tried to adopt first thou. It probaly would have been very easy for them to adopt a deaf or hard of hearing kid from the system. Those kids are pretty hard to place and it would give the kids a warm loving family instead of having to be shuttled through the foster care system or having to live at a res school.

Pre-natal testing for deaf genes such as connexin 26 means that deafness could be diagnosed during the early development of a foetus. A mother could then decide to abort a foetus depending on its status of hearing. (NB: Pre-natal testing is not available in the UK)

UGH!!!!! That's scary and borders on eugenics. Now I understand, aborting a baby b/c they've died in utereo or b/c they have extremely serious birth defects ( anacephely) or birth defects that have a very low rate of survival...but aborting a baby b/c they don't have eyes, or a perfect coachlea or whatever? What next? Aborting a baby b/c they have an ugly nose or small feet or thick ankles?