Should We Design the Perfect Baby? My Honest Thoughts

A few weeks ago I came across a thought-provoking question, and it's surprising the same is coming up again today. It says, If prospective parents have the ability to modify their children's genes before birth, would it be ideal or ethical that they're selecting what gift and talent such child possesses, as well as removing all forms of defects, basically creating a perfect baby? I find this question disturbing, probably because of my perspective about life, so seeing the question asked about if it's right or ethical just makes me want to air my opinion, and it goes thus.

To be honest, I must admit that at first glance the idea sounds tempting. I mean, who wouldn't want a child that's free from all forms of health challenges such as autism, genetic disorders, or any form of disability? The ideal of having a child who would live a life free from suffering is without a doubt an appealing one, but then looking beyond the surface, I, for one, see this as an ideal that crosses a very dangerous line, which to me feels like trying to play God.

Unlike several other things we can manipulate to our desire, it's worth noting that children are not projects or customized gadgets; in reality, they're human beings just like ourselves, and you all can agree with me that what makes us stand out is our uniqueness and potential we exhibit as we grow, and it's much more beautiful when such isn't predictable. In the event that parents began to choose specific traits or gifts for their children, even if it's being done with the best intentions at heart, I see it as a start to trying to strip life of its natural flow. There's a huge difference between wanting the best for your children and trying to manufacture it before they're even born.

Have we easily forgotten about letting life take its natural course? Have we also forgotten the potential of nurturing, mentoring, and guiding a child as they grow? Or letting them discover themselves while we help them shape their characters through discipline, love, and support. As a parent or prospective parent, it's okay to teach values, model kindness, responsibility, and confidence, or even make available opportunities that help them discover their talents and grow to become the best version of themselves; those are cool. What isn't cool is when we try to create such a version artificially from the womb. To me, that doesn't feel ethical.

I think we as parents and prospective parents want to be wary of treating children like a product with most of the specifications we can tick on or off before going for them. Regardless of if a child has a flaw or not, every child deserves love and a chance to grow in their own way. Truth be told, some of those things we deem as imperfections are what shape our empathy, resilience, uniqueness, and strength. My health challenges and how I dealt with them are a testament to that.

Overall, I understand we all just want to spare our children from suffering, but true parenting isn't about being perfect but about accepting the child you're given and walking the journey with them regardless of what path it takes. Everyone deserves a chance to come into the world the way they are and not as we design them.

All photos are taken and edited on canva.