Beware! Preimplantation genetic diagnosis may solve some old problems but it also raises new ones

Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PIGD) goes some way to meeting the clini cal, psychological and ethical problems of antenatal testing. We should gua rd, however, against the assumption that PIGD is the answer to all our prob lems. It also presents some new problems and leaves some old problems untou ched. This paper win provide an overview of how PIGD meets same of the old problems bur will concentrate oil two new challenges for ethics (and, indee d, law). First we look at whether we should always, suppose that it is wron g for a clinician to implant a genetically abnormal zygote. The second conc ern is particularly, important in the UK. The Human Fertilisation and Embry ology Act (1990) gives clinicians a statutory obligation to consider the in terests of the future children they help to create using in vitro fertilisa tion (IVF) techniques. Does this mean that because PIGD is bused on IVF tec hniques the balance of power for determining the best interests of the futu re child shifts from the mother to the clinician?.