Embryo testing limits need to be set

Green Party health spokeswoman Sue Kedgley got pregnant at age 42. She said that having been in that position she had sympathy for older women doing whatever they felt they had to do to get pregnant, but was concerned at how far the process could go.

New Zealand has one of the most unregulated environments for reproduction in the world, she said.

"We have no legislation, no ethical or legal boundaries in place."

"Once we start down this road we are on a slippery slope. There is sure to be pressure for other sorts of testing."

She questioned where the limits for embryo testing would be.

"It would come to finding out the sex, the intelligence and the eye colour ... you would end up with designer babies."

There were other methods to combat infertility, including the use of Chinese herbs.

"In an isolated incidence I can see it would be compelling, but this is almost the domain of science fiction."

It should not be left to clinics and individuals but be publicly debated.

Bishop Peter Cullinane, president of the NZ Catholic Bishops' Conference, said: "Ethics committees exist because not everything that can be done in laboratories should be done."

He said all involved in bringing about embryos had responsibility for protecting them as long as they needed protection.