Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis – definition and application

The preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) is a method of the artificial technique of reproduction, which allows to evaluate the genetic material of an ovocyte before its conception or an embryo conceived in vitro before its transfer to the uterus. It is applied in order to make sure that a mother’s womb will be introduced only by embryos without defects and chromosome aberrations or only by these embryos that possess determined characteristic or sex. Once recognized improper the embryos are eliminated from the in vitro procedure and destroyed. It is claimed that the application of PGD will significantly improve the effectiveness of artificial reproduction techniques, and eliminate successive prenatal diagnoses or moral dilemmas associated with eventual abortion. In 1989 the application of the preimplantation diagnosis of human reproductive cells began to develop this field of research in terms of its diagnostic capability. In 1990 the first case of a pregnancy after PGD was described where patients of genetic disease coupled with sex chromosome. The appication of PGD, like the application of the extracorporeal conception where PGD is an integral part, is stuck with a risk of coming up some undesired consequences. They may embrace a chance of misdiagnosis or adverse outcome, some embryos may be unsuitable for biosy, or diagnosis may not be possible for all biopsied embryos. At the same time, one must not forget about the risks associated with the procedure of artificial procreation such as the risk of premature birth, low birth weight, perinatal mortality, congenital anomalies and/or developmental delay in children following IVF/ICSI/PGD treatment, uncertainty about long-term adverse effects for children born after assisted reproduction with or without PGD and the importance of follow-up for children born after PGD. Since we can not find any sufficient reason for non-recognizing the personal dignity of a human embryo, it is to be recognized as morally controversial the application of PGD where the production and deliberate destruction of human embryos are presupposed. PGD is a purely eugenic technique which is possessed by the idea of a child on order, and which discriminates on the basis of actual or alleged biological features. PGD is an evident degradation of human dignity