“Flying in the face of nature?”
30 January 2008
| |  |  | The Omega screening process has caused tension between Adam and his mother Margaret | | Video files are available. Download the latest Quicktime plug-in to view them. |
Adam Neald and Martin Cassidy have become the first British
couple to use the Proteus Omega package to “choose” their
child on the basis of predicted intelligence and positive behavioural
characteristics.
Neald and Cassidy are using an American egg donor, picked from the
Proteus archives and whom they have never met, to be the biological
mother of their child. Under the Omega package, ten embryos will be
created and will then be screened for genetic dysfunction and diseases
which are directly related to a certain gene or genes, such as cystic
fibrosis. The healthy embryos will then undergo further screening in
order to identify clusters and spreads of genes which indicate certain
traits and suggest a predilection towards certain types of behaviour.
Neald and Cassidy will then use this information to pick the embryo
they would like implanted.
Both their decision and the Omega package itself have come under intense
scrutiny and criticism with accusations that they fly in the face of
nature. Even Adam’s mother, Margaret Neald has voiced her concern.
“These kinds of things are not for us to decide; it’s the
Lord’s will. And, it’s against his will to go tampering
with embryos and things. It’s just playing with nature. It should
just be left well alone.”
Adam has defended his position. ”In many ways, it is better having
a baby this way than in the normal way that people have children. We
can stop our children becoming ill from several different diseases and
can give them every chance in life.” Martin however, was less
forthcoming. “I’m still not sure about the package, but
Adam says he is totally sure and I trust him, so we are going ahead
with the screening.”
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Martin
Cassidy 
