Genetic screening of embryos is raising concerns

Prospective, wealthy parents are genetically screening embryos for “superior” IQ using genomic prediction, a service offered by US startup Heliospect Genomics, reports The Guardian. The practice is raising ethical and legal concerns.

The company charges up to $50,000 to test 100 embryos to identify genetic markers associated with higher intelligence and other favorable traits like height. The startup also claims that couples who use its service might expect to have a child six IQ points smarter, on average, than the child they would have had naturally.

But experts are skeptical. They say the science behind genomic prediction isn’t precise. They contest that thousands of genes and environmental factors influence intelligence, so any gains from Heliospect’s screening are uncertain.

Many believe that the idea that parents can reliably choose “superior” embryos is unrealistic. Experts point out that not all embryos created during in vitro fertilization (IVF) will lead to a successful pregnancy, so the process isn’t as simple as it sounds.

Critics also worry that screening embryos for IQ could lead to ideas of superior and inferior genetics, which are not healthy for society.