Should we choose the sex of our babies?

[MrsDoolittle]

Guardian article I have been thinking about this all morning (first day of annual leave) and I am interested to see how other mums feel about this. Should we not let nature decide this for us? So far I haven't been convinced by any of the arguements for it.

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Think this is a storm in a tea cup to be honest. How many couples do you think would choose to go thru the IVF route just for cosmetic reasons? In reality I think it'd be very few indeed. So few it would be statistically insignificant with reference to the sex ratio - which adapts itself anyway over generations. And lets not forget that this kind of thing happens in much less scientific ways around the world. Female infantice is and was very common in China and India for instance. Over here we have the luxury of debating it in moral terms, there it's a brutal reality.

I think you are underestimating the drive to have sons in some cultures. Female infanticide is still far from rare in China. the chinease governmant has recognised the massive disparity between the numbers of Girls and Boys being born and being allowed to survive. Bride kidnapping is now becoming a major issue as boys do not have enough girls to marry. And still they are killing girl chldren.

Think the only reason we humans should ever be allowed to choose the sex of our babies is if there is a medical reason/condition to do so!

I agree HMB. In the west it could only become and elitist concern tho I think. Like you say, in poorer societies people chose the sex of their offspring in much more brutal ways.

Bump. Feffi? You finished yet?