IVF Company Offers Eugenics Tool to 'Pick Your Baby'

Nucleus IVF+ allows couples to select embryos based on genetic traits and discard 'less desirable' ones.

Jan. 28, 2026 at 11:23pm

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The IVF company Nucleus IVF+ has launched a marketing campaign inviting couples to 'pick your baby' by allowing them to view an 'electronic menu' of up to 20 embryos they have conceived. The menu provides details on the sex, hair and eye color, height, IQ, and health risks of each embryo, enabling couples to select the 'ideal' child and discard the rest.

Why it matters

This practice is widely considered a form of eugenics, as it allows parents to selectively choose embryos based on genetic traits and discard those deemed 'less desirable.' Critics argue this raises serious ethical concerns about the commodification of human life and the creation of a 'Brave New World' where parents can engineer their 'perfect' child.

The details

Couples who sign up with Nucleus IVF+ are presented with an electronic 'menu' of up to 20 embryos they have conceived, allowing them to view the sex of each baby, their anticipated hair and eye color, and predictions about the height, IQ, and health risks. The company claims this technology goes beyond traditional IVF disease screening to look at more 'ordinary' problems like risk for hypertension, diabetes, and male pattern baldness. Nucleus IVF+ founder Kian Sadeghi has defended the practice, saying it's about 'empowering people with information' to give their child the 'best start in life.' However, critics argue this is a clear form of eugenics, as it allows parents to selectively choose and discard embryos based on genetic traits.

  • Nucleus IVF+ launched its 'pick your baby' marketing campaign in January 2026.

The players

Nucleus IVF+

An IVF company that offers a technology allowing couples to select embryos based on genetic traits such as sex, hair and eye color, height, IQ, and health risks.

Kian Sadeghi

The founder of Nucleus IVF+ who has defended the company's practice, claiming it's about 'empowering people with information' to give their child the 'best start in life.'

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What they’re saying

“They want us to, you know, play sports and they want us to go to the best school. They want us to be well educated. They want us to thrive. Life, I think, as a parent doesn't just stop at 'I want my child to be healthy.'”

— Kian Sadeghi, Founder, Nucleus IVF+ (CBS News)

The takeaway

Nucleus IVF+'s 'pick your baby' technology raises serious ethical concerns about the commodification of human life and the creation of a 'Brave New World' where parents can engineer their 'perfect' child. Critics argue this practice is a clear form of eugenics, allowing parents to selectively choose and discard embryos based on genetic traits, which many consider to be objectively evil and dystopian.