The first British baby to be genetically modified is due to be born next week.

The parents chose to genetically screen their baby during the IVF process, attempting to rid their future child of the breast cancer gene, which has run in their families for generations.

Without the screening, there was an extremely high chance that any daughter they might have would develop the fast-spreading, hard-to-treat disease.

"I thought this was something I had to try because, if we had a daughter with this gene, and she was ill, I couldn't look her in the face and say I didn't try," said the mother-to-be.

The sex of the baby is unknown.

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