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Can Lucas live only because he is healthy?


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  1. Genetic wonder baby
  2. "Lucas can only live because he is healthy"
  3. Karyomapping - what is it?
  4. Karyomapping - how does it work?
  5. Karyomapping - the big debate

Genetic wonder baby

Lucas is the first European baby to be born after a karyomapping procedure. Is he allowed to live only because he is healthy? Critics are outraged.

The little Lucas is only five months old and is already heavily debated for his life. The reason: Lucas is the first European baby to be born after a karyomapping procedure - a procedure that can prevent hereditary diseases at an early stage.

"Lucas can only live because he is healthy"

Lucas can only live because he is healthy - so critics. His parents are outraged. "We did not choose to make our child look big or good, we chose to be healthy and have the same opportunities in life as other children, " says Carmen Neagu, Lucas mother, to the world. The young woman, like her father, suffers from the neurogenic disease Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease - a hereditary disease that causes muscle strength to wane. Unlike her father, the disease is very weak in Carmen. Her father, on the other hand, can not move his hands or feet completely since he was 50 years old. The course of the disease - unpredictable. The probability that the children of the Neagus could get sick - 50 percent.

Lucas Meagu is the first baby born in Europe to be conceived through a new IVF procedure. https://t.co/bjgzCd2qis pic.twitter.com/rYddHql903

- Inside Science (@GoInsideScience) March 29, 2015

Karyomapping - what is it?

"Karyomapping is a new procedure in preimplantation genetic engineering that we are very excited about because it works much faster than traditional methods, " said Karen Doye, Center for Reproductive & Genetic Health, London, across the globe. In German: Karyomapping is a method by which embryos can be tested for genetic defects and hereditary diseases. While classical methods require six to twelve months' time, the new procedure of preimplantation genetic diagnosis only takes five weeks or less. Another advantage: With karyomapping, embryos can be tested for two or more hereditary diseases. And not only that. Thanks to this new procedure can also be a miscarriage and a Down syndrome rule.

Karyomapping - how does it work?

Within the procedure, an artificial insemination is performed. After five to six days, the fertilized single cells have become blastocysts and can be tested for genetic and hereditary diseases. A few days later, the doctors know which embryos have hereditary disease and which do not. A healthy embryo can be implanted.

Karyomapping - the big debate

Not all countries in Europe are for pre-implantation diagnostics - Switzerland, for example. Even the parents of little Lucas have to deal with malicious comments. It was the day of the recent court, Carmen and Gabriel Neagu had their child genetically selected - so the allegations. They would play with the lives of the children and interfere in the divine creation - the critics continue. Expert Karen Doye explains: "We do not genetically change anything, we just check which embryos have the disease and which do not".

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