Genetic engineering is just in its earliest tinkering stage, but it is already seen both as a great medical hope and a bugaboo. By learning the secrets of the genes, science is increasingly able to alert couples who run an unusually high risk of passing on crippling defects; sometimes a warning is possible even before children are conceived. Tests can also discover disabilities in the unborn as well as in infants and young children before symptoms appear.
Example: if both parents carry the genes for Tay-Sachs disease or sickle-cell anemia, there is great danger that their children will actually get the disease....
To continue reading:
or
Log-In
