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28/04/2005
‘Designer babies’ decision backed by Lords
The House of Lords has upheld a court decision ruling that the creation of ‘designer babies’ to treat seriously ill siblings was lawful.
The decision upholds a 2003 Appeal Court decision, which allowed the parents of six-year-old Zain Hashmi to go ahead with treatment to have a baby with the same tissue type. Zain suffers from a potentially fatal genetic blood disorder and tissue from a ‘designer baby’ could be used to help treat his condition.
Zain suffers from beta thalassaemia major, a serious condition that requires him to take daily doses of drugs and have regular blood transfusions in order to stay alive. His parents, Raj and Shahana Hashmi had wanted to use IVF treatment, which would allow doctors to select embryos with the same tissue type as Zain – a process known as ‘tissue typing’ - so that it could be used to treat his condition.
The High Court had banned the use of the treatment in 2002, but the Appeal Court overturned the decision.
A campaign group, Comment on Reproductive Ethnics (Core) had approached the House of Lords, seeking to get the Appeal Court’s ruling overturned.
However, five Law Lords ruled that that the practise of tissue typing could be authorised by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority.
(KMcA/SP)
The decision upholds a 2003 Appeal Court decision, which allowed the parents of six-year-old Zain Hashmi to go ahead with treatment to have a baby with the same tissue type. Zain suffers from a potentially fatal genetic blood disorder and tissue from a ‘designer baby’ could be used to help treat his condition.
Zain suffers from beta thalassaemia major, a serious condition that requires him to take daily doses of drugs and have regular blood transfusions in order to stay alive. His parents, Raj and Shahana Hashmi had wanted to use IVF treatment, which would allow doctors to select embryos with the same tissue type as Zain – a process known as ‘tissue typing’ - so that it could be used to treat his condition.
The High Court had banned the use of the treatment in 2002, but the Appeal Court overturned the decision.
A campaign group, Comment on Reproductive Ethnics (Core) had approached the House of Lords, seeking to get the Appeal Court’s ruling overturned.
However, five Law Lords ruled that that the practise of tissue typing could be authorised by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority.
(KMcA/SP)
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