Controversial Genetic Tests: German Parliament Allows Some Embryo Screening
The German parliament on Thursday approved a bill that allows prospective parents worried about genetic diseases to screen test-tube embryos before bringing them to term.
The Bundestag moved to allow some “pre-implantation genetic diagnosis,” or PID, by a wide, non-partisan margin. But it also imposed strict conditions: Doctors can perform the screening only when the parents have a strong likelihood of passing on a genetic defect, or when the chances of miscarriage or stillbirth are (genetically) high.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel was among the lawmakers opposed to the measure. Many opponents fear the tests could lead to so-called “designer babies.” Germany has also been cautious among Western countries in allowing genetic procedures because of atrocities committed under the Third Reich. Laws in the United States, for example, are far less strict: Embryo screening is allowed to determine the sex of a child.