Should parents be allowed to choose their baby to save the life of an older child? Many more such “saviour siblings” could be permitted in the UK, argues a parliamentary report.
Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) screening can identify embryos that, as children, might provide matched tissue for treating sick older siblings. In the UK, such screening is allowed only when the disease in question is life-threatening, and the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) must approve each case.
For example, in 2002 the HFEA allowed HLA screening to select a donor sibling for Zain Hashmi, who has beta thalassaemia and…
