Learning About & Understanding Pre-Implantation Genetic Diagnosis

Pre-Implantation Genetic Diagnosis, also commonly known as PGD, is a powerful clinical tool to identify embryos with or at risk of specific genetic diseases before implantation in utero after in vitro fertilization(IVF). PGD hasn't been around too long, and is not yet experimental on humans and only on small celled organisms. The studies so far have been spearheaded towards X-linked chromosome diseases because they are easier to be determined at this point of the research, and the chances are closer to a 50/50 chance. The overall concept is that scientists believe they will be able to come to learn how to genetically form a child's genetic makeup to avoid genes for certain diseases, such as down syndrome, autism, inherited blood clotting, cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophies, and more. This would be a significant scientific discovery, but also very concerning on certain levels. There are some serious concerns surrounding the power and use of PGD, and even though the research is currently relative, the argument and debate over PDG is very real.