India’s fertility market is booming due to rising infertility rates attributable to lifestyle diseases, delayed parenthood, and genetic disorders.
IVF (In-Vitro- Fertilisation) can prevent genetic disorders from being passed to offspring, a significant concern for fertility treatments.
Diseases such as hemoglobinopathies, thalassemia and certain types of muscular dystrophies can now be effectively eradicated through meticulous genetic screening. However, an ethical dilemma of ‘designer babies’ lurks on the horizon.
The trend of individuals selecting specific genetic traits has been rising, for not just health reasons but also aesthetic and personal preferences. Technologies like gene-editing tools raise ethical and legal questions. How far should science go in shaping human life, especially within the realm of fertility? One of the most significant concerns associated with genetic modification is the possibility of eugenics. Individuals or societies might seek to create “designer babies” with preferred traits.
Genetic screening plays a key role in modern fertility care. Preimplantation Genetic Testing is helping couples overcome recurrent pregnancy failures and avoid inherited disorder, significantly impacting fertility issues.
GENETIC SCREENING
There is an urgent need to integrate genetic screening into mainstream fertility care. This integration can improve chances of healthy babies and avoid failed pregnancies.
The procedure of Preimplantation Genetic Testing (PGT) selects embryos without abnormalities for implantation. This selection offers better assurance of a successful pregnancy, directly touching upon fertility concerns.
PGT helps to determine if the baby would be born with inherited disorders such as Thalassemia. It also detects Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) before the pregnancy even occurs, deeply intertwining with fertility decisions.
It is not obligatory for couples with genetic problems to seek sperm or egg donation. They may also opt for adoption or choose not to refrain from marriage or childbearing entirely.
Advanced genetic screening is transforming the success rates of IVF and identifying the underlying causes of unexplained infertility, revolutionizing the landscape of fertility treatments.
Genetic screening has been of exceptional service to patients who had no hope of bearing a healthy child. This is especially true for those who are carriers of serious inherited conditions.
When a couple is not able to conceive through a natural conjugal relationship, but both partners are healthy, there can be underlying genetic issues impacting fertility. These issues may lead to unsuccessful pregnancies. In such cases, genetic screening can help bring about positive change.
(Dr Naresh Purohit is Executive Member of the Federation of Reproductive Health Services-India (FRHS – India. The views expressed are that of the author)
