Designing Babies: The Brave New World of reproductive technology

Designing Babies: The Brave New World of Reproductive Technology, Roger Gosden MD, W.H. Freeman and Company, 1999

This book ranges from the history of child-bearing to present technology, where egg and sperm can be frozen for later use and some genetic diseases can be fixed before birth.

In the past, poor hygiene meant that women needed to have lots of children, because some of them wouldn't survive. In some cultures, girls are prized because they have a chance to marry someone of a higher social class. Whereas, in other cultures, ultrasound is used for sex selection. If the fetus is female, the mother walks out of the clinic and into the abortion clinic, usually right next door.

In the womb, sometimes the initial chromosome division goes wrong, and the person gets an extra chromosome, which leads to Down's Syndrome. Sometimes, either or both parents are carriers for some genetic disease, like cystic fibrosis. What should the parents do? This book also explores topics like in vitro fertilization, cloning, making a perfect baby through eugenics, birth practices of other animals, and pregnancy outside the womb.

Gosden does a very good job at making this book painless reading. It's an interesting book, and the science doesn't get too overwhelming. It's recommended for everyone.