Is “Polygenetic Screening” the Business of Creating Designer Babies?

I read an article over the weekend in The Washington Post that spotlighted a fast-evolving frontier in fertility: polygenic screening of embryos. This technology allows prospective parents to evaluate their embryos for genetic risks tied to conditions like heart disease, diabetes, or even cognitive decline.

Companies like Orchid, run by founder Noor Siddiqui, are marketing embryo selection not just as a medical option, but as a way to help parents make more informed decisions about their future families. For those of us who’ve spent years navigating IVF, donor choices, and fertility decision trees, it’s also a lot to process.

Let’s be honest: many of us crave clarity when facing infertility. We’re constantly weighing risk and reward, trying to “optimize” our chances of a healthy pregnancy. The idea of more information—especially early in the IVF process—can feel empowering. 𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱𝗻’𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗮 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗳 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱’𝘀 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵?

However, we also need to acknowledge the emotional and ethical implications that come with these options. Screening may offer more insight, but it also adds more complexity to an already emotionally loaded journey.

Polygenic screening evaluates many small genetic markers to offer predictions about future health risks—not certainties. It’s not about choosing a “designer baby” or engineering a guaranteed outcome. Rather, it’s about helping patients understand the possible risks and make choices that align with their values, resources, and circumstances.

For some, this tool will feel like a gift. For others, it may feel ethically wrong.

𝗜 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗱 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗸𝗲𝘆, and that includes embracing the science that helps women build the families they dream of. But I also believe every woman deserves to navigate this terrain without shame, pressure, or judgment.

I’m not here to tell anyone whether they should or shouldn’t use polygenic screening. What I do know is this: fertility is personal. It's often messy. And the best decisions come not just from science, but from our own lived wisdom, emotional readiness, and honest conversations.

Whether you’re choosing an embryo with the lowest predicted health risks or transferring the only embryo you have after years of trying, you are doing something brave and beautiful.

Have you heard about polygenic screening? Would you want to use it—or do you have concerns? What does “empowered choice” look like for you?

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