April 25, 2024

Designer baby service postponed

Doctor overwhelmed by response

Dr Jeffrey SteinbergA fertility doctor who popped into the headlines after his clinics began to advertise "designer babies" has withdrawn the service. Dr Jeff Steinberg, who has offices in Manhattan and Los Angeles and often features in new stories about IVF advances, says that he will only offer his sorting service for genetic diseases. An article in the New York Daily News about bespoke babies triggered an avalanche of phone queries, he said. His web site advertisement for the controversial service was also taken down: "PREDICTIVE GENOMICS TO BE AVAILABLE: Eye color, hair color, cancer tendency and more." Stay tuned: Dr Steinberg says that the cancellation is only temporary. ~ New York Daily News, Mar 3