Designing Babies: The Reproduction Revolution

04/09/2007 at 9:00 a.m.

The sexual revolution of 1960's was followed by a revolution in reproduction, marked by the birth of the world's first test-tube baby in 1978. Now, in the 21st century, doctors are giving parents striking new choices. Pick the sex of the child, and a lot more. Is it possible to "design" a "perfect" baby? Fertility drugs are now a three-billion-dollars a year business. With assistance, one woman gave birth to septuplets—the current record. Are decaplets coming? Are there any limits to the reproduction revolution? Is everything conceivable?

Guests:
Michael Sandel teaches political philosophy at Harvard and is the author of a new book, The Case against Perfection: Ethics in the Age of Genetic Engineering. He formerly served on the President's Council on Bioethics.
Lori Marshall is a reproductive endocrinologist at Pacific Northwest Fertility in Seattle. She also served on the ethics committees for both the American Society for Reproductive Medicine and the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology from 2000 to 2006.