The BBC reports that one of the fertility clinics in the U.S. has sparked off a major controversy by offering the option of designer babies to clients. Dr Steinberg, who helped to pioneer IVF several decades ago, is set to allow parents to decide which sex their baby is born. Originally, the technique called preimplantation genetic diagnosis was designed to screen fertilised embryos for defective genes before they are implanted into the womb. It was hailed as a major breakthrough in the prevention of inherited diseases like thalassaemia in the Mediterranean. However, the industry is now evolving into a cosmetic business where propective parents can pick traits like eye or hair color for their new baby. This is a completely unacceptable and irresponsible decision. Individuals should not be allowed to choose what their babies look like - it is akin to playing God. It is a waste of health resources and a mere exploitation of research that has been used to prevent much illness and suffering.