"Mom, dad, donor: Britain moves step closer to allowing babies with 3 people’s genes; U.K. a step closer to ‘three-parent’ babies" by Karla Adam, Washington Post | February 3, 2015
LONDON — Britain moved a step closer Tuesday to becoming the first country to legalize so-called three-parent babies, as lawmakers moved closer to allowing fertility labs to use genetic material from a mother, father and a female donor.
The debate in the House of Commons reflected the deep passions on both sides of the issue of allowing in vitro procedures that could prevent the passing on of inherited and incurable diseases through mitochondrial DNA, which is carried from mother to child.
Supporters say changing the law would offer hope to couples who otherwise would risk transferring diseases such as muscular dystrophy to their offspring. But a wide range of critics question the ethics of the proposal, saying it would be another step toward creating “designer babies.”
The proposal passed, 382 to 128, and moved to Parliament’s upper chamber, the House of Lords, where a vote is expected soon, although no date has been set. Commentators say the first three-parent baby could be born next year if the legislative effort succeeds....
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Related: UK votes to allow creation of babies from DNA of 3 people
UPDATE:
"Some parents and teachers are calling on a school board chairman to resign for comments he made about a technique that may help eliminate birth defects, which he said could possibly reduce the number of special education children. Brownson Spencer said Wednesday he would not resign. At the Feb. 4 Mill River Union board meeting, Spencer mentioned reports about the controversial technique, which allows the genetic material of three people to fertilize an egg, instead of two. ‘‘It has pretty awesome implications for education,” he said, “because we could probably greatly reduce the number of special ed kids with this brand-new biological technique.’’ He wrote an apology, saying if anyone thought he was being insensitive, they ‘‘misunderstood the import of this genetic discovery.’’ (AP)."
