the term designer baby is used sometimes, but its meaning is not clear or simple. it means something like "influencing the quality of a child which is not yet born". by this is meant not just health care. the idea is to change the nature, usually the genetics, of the child for the better. there are many technical, social, moral and legal issues connected to this idea. society has scarcely begun to think about these issues. however, it is now certain that some of these ideas can, in principle, be done.