A study conducted by a Texas fertility clinic is seeking to establish influences that may cause couples to want to choose the sex of their baby.

This study, conducted by the Baylor Clinic, part of the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, will examine the interests and motives of 25 married couples considering pre-implantation genetic diagnosis that uses in vitro fertilization to choose the baby’s sex.

NIU perspective on PGD

Mitrick Johns, associate professor of biological sciences who specializes in human genetics, said PGD – a labor intensive and expensive process – could be relatively risky.

“There is definitely more of a chance that you can damage or kill embryos than if you don’t move them at all,” Johns said.

Johns also recognized certain people have different beliefs on the subject.

“Some people think that every embryo is precious, while some don’t believe they are human beings,” Johns said. “I don’t think we know enough and are not wise enough when considering this process.”

Stephanie Soto, a freshman sociology major, based her view of PGD procedure on religious grounds.

“I disagree with it. We shouldn’t play with what God is supposed to do, and this might make our culture all the same,” Soto said. However, Soto recognized how it can help prevent certain diseases and medical problems.

Jamie Jeschke, a freshman political science major, said he does not support the procedure, but he wouldn’t force his views onto others.

“I wouldn’t consider it, but it’s okay if someone else does it,” Jeschke said. “But I think they shouldn’t really be messing with it.”

According to the National Center for Health Statistics, 1,050 boys are born for every 1,000 girls.

The procedure

During PGD, embryos become fertile in a laboratory until they reach the eight-cell stage, where one cell is detached so its DNA can be analyzed. This allows technicians to determine if the embryo is female or male and if it has any genetic defects. Those of the desired sex are injected into the patient’s uterus to further develop.

According to babycenter.com, a single round of PGD can cost nearly $20,000.

Even though the process of PGD can be used to avoid genetic medical problems, people still have strong views on the procedure ethically and how it will affect society in the future.

Ethical considerations

Members of the college’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and ethicists from the college’s Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy hope to better understand ethical and cultural factors that affect a couple’s decision to choose the sex of a baby.

Factors being examined include gender beliefs, family values and cultural traditions.

“The purpose of this study is to learn how these couples make their decision,” said Kimberlee Barbour, senior communications specialist for the Baylor College of Medicine.

After 18 months of discussion and three reviews by the Baylor College of Medicine Institutional Review Board, the clinic was given approval to conduct the study.

The participants have at least one child together who is not of the same sex they desire to conceive. The study requires them to undergo in vitro fertilization screening and receive counseling to inform them on risks involved and what may result from the procedure.

A questionnaire that asks about each couple’s ethical beliefs and decision-making process will be given to learn what influenced the participants to consider PGD. They also will be interviewed for 30 minutes by a trained ethicist who will ask more questions about their beliefs, values and feelings on gender.