10 'designer' babies are born

Ten babies have been born to women whose IVF treatment included a controversial embryo screening technique only recently allowed in Britain.

The babies, including one set of twins, were conceived using the aneuploidy technique which involves checking IVF embryos for a wide range of genetic flaws.

It maximises the chance of conception among women older than 35 by screening out embryos with even minor imperfections, which could lead to miscarriage or birth defects.

But critics of the technique have argued it represents a significant step towards "designer babies".

Mohamed Taranissi, director of the Park Hospital, Nottingham, said: "Older women who are at increased risk of producing a child with Down's syndrome, or with other age-related chromosomal abnormalities, can now use aneuploidy screening rather than waiting for pre-natal diagnosis, which may lead to termination, often at an advanced stage."