Law proposes allowing parents to choose baby’s gender
Parents will be allowed to choose the sex of their baby under proposed new laws.
The Irish Independent reports that the technique - known as pre-implantation genetic diagnosis - is to be permitted.
However, the Chief Medical Officer at the Department of Health, Dr Tony Holohan, says this would only happen if there is a significant risk of parents passing on a serious inherited disease to the child.
The changes would be part of the first legislation in the history of the State regulating fertility treatments.
There would be strict age limits for female patients, but fertility expert Dr John Waterstone thinks the cut-off is too young.
He said: "In a draft proposal so far they say the treatment will only be allowed for women under 47 years old.
"Now women sometimes would conceive naturally at age 49 or 50, so that immediately seems a little bit silly.
"But if women are using donor eggs, then the current accepted sensible limit is about 50."
