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In Mumbai, a family with a history of sickle cell anemia has successfully used the concept of saviour siblings to cure their eldest daughter. Seven-year-old Baby had been receiving frequent blood transfusions and was in need of a bone marrow transplant to survive. Her parents, with the help of assisted reproductive technology, underwent pre-implantation genetic diagnosis to conceive a child that could serve as a donor for Baby.

Topic: Case Study.

7. In Mumbai, a family with a history of sickle cell anemia has successfully used the concept of saviour siblings to cure their eldest daughter. Seven-year-old Baby had been receiving frequent blood transfusions and was in need of a bone marrow transplant to survive. Her parents, with the help of assisted reproductive technology, underwent pre-implantation genetic diagnosis to conceive a child that could serve as a donor for Baby.

Their third child, Munna, was born with the same genetic makeup as Baby, but without the sickle cell anemia gene. At six months old, Munna underwent a successful bone marrow transplant, and Baby has been thriving ever since.

The use of saviour siblings has garnered mixed reactions from the public, with some praising the technology for saving lives, while others question the ethics of conceiving a child solely for the purpose of serving as a donor. Despite the debate, IVF specialists argue that when used for single-gene diseases like sickle cell anemia, the pre-implantation genetic diagnosis technique is ethical and legal.

This successful case has given hope to other families struggling with genetic diseases, and has sparked discussions on the potential for this technology to cure a wide range of genetic disorders.

    1. Analyse the ethical issues involved in the concept of ‘saviour sibling’?
    2. Would this set a precedent for selecting certain babies having desirable traits?
    3. What should be the way forward with respect to ‘saviour sibling’ as a medical technology?

(Answer in 250 words)

Difficulty level: Moderate.

Why the question:

The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 4 and part of ‘Case Study Fridays’ in Mission-2023 Secure.

Structure of the answer:

Introduction: 

Begin by explaining the importance of saving lives via transplantations and in this context explain the concept of saviour sibling.

Body:

  1. Write about the ethical issues involved. Discarded embryos, sex-selective process, autonomy of the saviour sibling, legal challenges, a treatment only rich can afford etc.
  2. Write about the similarities in the process of saviour sibling and selecting certain babies having desirable traits. Bring outs its ramifications.
  3. Write a way forward for its regulation, prevent its misuse etc.

Conclusion:

Pass a judgement on the ethicality of the concept of saviour sibling.