Designer Babies in Europe's Future? UK Ethics Council Says 'No Reason to Rule It Out' 

A new report from Europe appears to be opening the door for so-called designer babies.

The report encourages altering DNA in babies to give them what their parents deem the best chance in life.

It comes from the Nuffield Council on Bioethics, which is a leading ethics authority in the United Kingdom.

"It is our view that genome editing is not morally unacceptable in itself," said Karen Yeung, chair of the Nuffield working group and professor of law, ethics, and informatics at the University of Birmingham. 

"There is no reason to rule it out in principle," she said, according to The Guardian newspaper.

The UK currently bans the practice, but the report urges more research into the safety, effectiveness and societal impact of the practice.

Altering genes to create babies by design is wildly controversial. 

There are grave moral concerns about messing with God's creations and setting up a society of genetic "haves" and "have-nots."

In addition, the procedure for replacing so-called "faulty genes" has been found to damage DNA. 

That is, the process of "editing genes" damages healthy cells.

The Guardian reports that Jackie Leach Scully, professor of social ethics and bioethics at Newcastle University and a co-author on the report, warns that while the technology could potentially reduce the number of people affected by certain genetic disorders, it could leave those with the diseases feeling more marginalized and with less medical support.