Eight is More than Enough
EmailThe story of the California octuplets got more than its share of play, and raised more than its share of hackles — especially when it came to light that the mother had gone to a fertility specialist to have multiple embryos implanted in her womb. In Georgia, State Senator Ralph T. Hudgens and two co-sponsors have introduced a bill to make it illegal for a fertility doctor to do what happened in California. The mother, Nadya Suleman, had a doctor implant six embryos in her uterus; all came to term, with two producing twins. Ms. Suleman already had six children, as you’ll recall, so she’s up to fourteen. She cannot pay their medical bills, and there is a website soliciting donations for the babies’ care. Mr. Hudgens’ bill in Georgia is Senate Bill 169, and the text is HERE. Section 19-7-67(a) reads: "Where a woman under age 40 is to receive treatment using her own eggs or embryos created using her own eggs, whether fresh or previously cryopreserved, at the time of transfer no person or entity shall transfer more than two embryos in any treatment cycle, regardless of the procedure used." If a woman is over 40, and therefore stands a lower chance of a successful pregnancy in a given month, the bill raises the limit to three implanted embryos. The Athens Banner-Herald, which covers Sen. Hudgens’ district, says he has long taken a stance against abortion on demand, and also objects to the burden the eight newborns, with their high medical bills (up to $1.3 million), are placing on society. "The taxpayers are going to have to pay for them," Hudgens is quoted as saying. So…a complicated question. A government may carry the burden of caring for all those children. Should a government limit the technology that made the birth of those children possible? (2006 picture of Nadya Suleman at a fertility clinic. KTLA photo via AP.)
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Absolutly.
Posted by: jenny | March 4, 2009, 9:21 am 9:21 am
ERRRR!!!!!!!!!! I hate to say it, but yes they should limit the technology, especially because of people like Nadya Suleman…there should have been a system in place that prevented her from even having 1 more child, she couldn’t pay for what she has and now every taxpayer has to foot her bill. It is sad for the women who want children and can afford to pay for them…but one big bad apple spoiled the whole bunch.
Posted by: samhiguchi | March 4, 2009, 9:22 am 9:22 am
A good idea, but it doesn’t go far enough.
No one should be allowed to have fertility treatments if they have even one child.
No one should be allowed to have fertility treatments if they can’t afford to support a child.
I wish child protective services were more on the ball in removing children from deranged or just plain bad parents. That is something I would be happy to pay higher taxes for.
Posted by: Linda | March 4, 2009, 10:06 am 10:06 am
She knew what she was doing and wanted someone to sponser her bad choices and of course tax payers to foot the bill. Something should be done about people like her so this crap never happens again!!!!!
Posted by: traci | March 4, 2009, 10:49 am 10:49 am
In one interview, Nadya mentioned that she had those 6 embryos left, and they had to all be implanted. She didn’t want to waste any of them, so she had them all put in at once–it was cheaper that way.
If she hadn’t used but 2 or 3 embryos this time, she would have gone back until they were all given a chance at becoming a child. None of the embryos would be discarded, because she didn’t believe in that.
Posted by: Debbie | March 4, 2009, 11:33 am 11:33 am
Where are the pro-life groups? I wonder if they’re going to assist her with her children. I guess I missed all their demonstrations and marches in support of Octomom.
Posted by: Kathy | March 4, 2009, 12:14 pm 12:14 pm
Debbie — She could have given the embryos to someone else and donated them. She didn’t have to have them all implanted. She said she wanted -one- child from the procedure. The lady must be an idiot or lying if she didn’t realize planting 6 embryos would result in more than one birth.
I agree with previous posters to a degree who spoke of all her previous children. They should limit it to social circumstance as well: how many children, support network, family visits, adequate finances etc. To determine how many embryos should be implanted. If for instance it’s a stable home, financially stable, no children to speak of, it might be all right to allow more than 2 to be implanted, but still not to go beyond the scope of ethics (6 is too many).
Posted by: Beth | March 4, 2009, 12:22 pm 12:22 pm
It’s so obvious – she watched too many episodes of Jon and Kate plus 8 and wanted to cash in like they did. It’s working thus far, look at all the publicity she is getting. She wanted the fame and fortune without thinking about the babies. If there is a show, I refuse to watch!!!
Posted by: Kat | March 4, 2009, 1:35 pm 1:35 pm
I think it’s crazy for the fertility doctors to have gone along with this to begin with. I do think there should be some restrictions involved. Finances and the mental stability of the parentS (children need a mother AND father) Should be at the top of the list. Not because of tax payers having to take up the burden, but because of the CHILDREN. God did say be fruitful and multiply, but that doesn’t mean recklessly bring children into a world thats (pardon the expression) going straight to hell.
Posted by: Melissa | March 4, 2009, 2:21 pm 2:21 pm
People are out there including myself who are working and get nothing but pay taxes. I lost my job and went for a long time searching. I spend my Credit Union account over 6 thousand dollars, my severance pay and ate crakers and catchup at times. I would collect rain water for washing dishes and do laundy. Would cook with firewood using dry branches that had fallen out of the trees in the backyard. I fell behind my utilities and the water was cut off. And now this individual is not working, just having children and gets everything. Put her to work so she can pay my utilites, my mortage (which I am about to loose my house), my taxes and buy me a new car. I cannot afford a car or a phone making minimum wage. Put her to work and let her cook breakfast for the children before she goes to work, do the laundy and do not use disposable diapers, then cook supper when she comes from work just lime my mother did. Make her work, work work. If she got injected .. make her pay herself with her own money she makes by working. I hope she reads this.
Posted by: Jose Zuniga | March 4, 2009, 3:00 pm 3:00 pm
I think the doctor who & the clinic which acted SO IRRESPONSIBLY should be made to pay the cost of raising the eight babies to the age of 18 (and also have their license to paractice medicine revoked.
Posted by: Norman Burandt | March 4, 2009, 3:03 pm 3:03 pm
My wife and I are currently expecting our first child, which would have been impossible without IVF. My wife is on the low end of the normal age range of fertility patients. We had two strong embryos and considered only placing one back. Our doctors strongly recommended 2 embryos be placed back. We followed their recommendation and are expecting a single child. Placing across the board limits on numbers of embryos that can be implanted based solely on age is not right. We have a friend who has a condition that has caused advanced aging of her reproductive system. She is 36, she may have one shot at IVF, is it the right call to limit her to 2 embryos only when 3 could significantly improve their odds of having a child? I agree this woman in CA is crazy, but it is a doctor’s ethical responsibility to counsel the woman or to refuse her treatment. The doctor is probably more at fault in this situation – doctors shouldn’t let psychologically impaired people make the final choice.
Posted by: BH | March 4, 2009, 3:15 pm 3:15 pm
Personally, I believe there should be very strict limits on IVF. They should be more stringent than adoption standards to encourage people to adopt. Plus we won’t have to listen to people say that this medical procedure is a “miracle” and how the parents couldn’t stand to reduce the pregnancy because it’s against their religion.
Posted by: Shannon | March 4, 2009, 3:44 pm 3:44 pm
Jose Zuniga
Bless you, I hope you have found a good job by now. I have just lost my job and want to thank you for some ideas you mentioned – collecting rain water and cooking using wood – that will help me keep utility costs to a minimum.
Posted by: zann | March 4, 2009, 7:26 pm 7:26 pm
The erroneous assumption (up to now), was that IVF was only affordable for wealthy folks, so theoretically they could take care of them after, no matter the number of children produced. No one foresaw a mentally ill woman hoarding disability payments to pay for this. Either way, it’s way past time for legislation on this subject.
Posted by: Christian | March 4, 2009, 7:30 pm 7:30 pm
Im happy to see someone getting off their nest and cracking some eggs. This is just the beginning of a bigger problem to come. In the future, a substancial cost for retrieval, storage, and implantation of 3rd and subsequent viable eggs. This should be implemented to put a damper on surreptitious extortion of state and federal funding. Yes, that would mean only the rich could have more children than the rest of us. So?
Posted by: tendergroins | March 4, 2009, 7:31 pm 7:31 pm
as a physician, i am leery of having govtal intrusion in the doc pt relationship, but this is a case where neither doc or patient practiced sound judgement. these laws will not infringe on the rights of docs practicing sound medicine, or on the rights of parents who want to have healthy children. suleman and kamrava have demonstrated the necessity of such laws to prevent idiots from acting irresponsibly. i guess i look at such laws in the same light as speed limits.
Posted by: teamdirtdogs | March 4, 2009, 10:29 pm 10:29 pm
This proposed legislation is absolutely ridiculous! One woman in CA abuses In vitro technology and now we have to live in a police state?! Get your laws off my uterus–abortion or otherwise!
Posted by: vamom | March 4, 2009, 11:59 pm 11:59 pm
…much like a padlock that keeps honest people honest, there should be legislation or a financial block to protect taxpayer money from these type of social service vaccum cleaners.
So, if you cant control yourself, then someone has to do it for you. Thats the basis for the legal system anyway.
Posted by: tendergroins | March 5, 2009, 7:47 am 7:47 am
Too many people in the world. No more kids for anyone! And, for those who would quote the bible, be fruitful and multiply… Mission accomplished 100 years ago.
Posted by: ken | March 5, 2009, 9:51 am 9:51 am
Why cant people just leave nadya alone it was her choice to have this many kids and she can find a way to take care of them.she wanted to do this so why cant people just let her live her life how she wants to cause its her choice!!!!!!!!!! just let her make her own mistakes everyone doesnt have to help her….
Posted by: annonymous | March 5, 2009, 2:03 pm 2:03 pm
I haven’t really been keeping up on the Nadya story, I believe that she is getting to much media time and that is why I don’t pay any attention to her story. I am a 32 year old lady with pcos and I am not able to have kids on my own. We can not afford to do the teatments because of insurance doesn’t want to cover things like this. Even adoption is at a high cost in our country right now and I think that we should be doing something about this.
Posted by: Tonya | March 5, 2009, 3:18 pm 3:18 pm
Gee Ken, most tax payers will be taking care of Nadya’s children. The state can’t do it alone. Shw already has 3 on SSI for disibilites, that will be a life time… Who is going to pay the million or so, for the hospital stay of the 8 babies? The doctor should be sued by the state and made to pay for the children, until they are 18 years old.
Posted by: Janeyre | March 5, 2009, 4:07 pm 4:07 pm
I am livid that we have people like Nadya in the world. She is selfish. She is on welfare and getting money from those who pity her. She should have just been happy with the 6 kids she already has. she couldn’t even pay for them already without welfare and now she 8 more. Insanity. The doctor should foot the bills not everyone else. All those who are abusing fin. assistance should be put in jail. But then we would still have to pay for them so what the hell. Hope the kids are okey, with a crazy like that raising them, they need all the help they can get, too bad our money.
Posted by: amylia | March 5, 2009, 7:48 pm 7:48 pm
The state of California needs to review Ms. Sulmans applications for Welfare, Food Stamps and Student Loans, along with the officials who approved her.
Ms. Suleman pre-meditated decisions to commit child abuse with her now 3 multiple birth pregnancies that will cost taxpayers a fortune in $’s to pay for the delivery and lifetime of special assisted care and education these children will require.
The state should remove the current 6 children from this single parent who lives under the roof of her parents foreclosed home and all 14 of these kids should be put up for adoption to 2 parent financially secure and stable homes that Ms. Suleman refuses to provide for them.
The Internet site, or any other means Ms. Suleman chooses to solicit public donations should be managed by a state CPA so all monies collected go directly to the care of these kids and not for more personal beauty enhancement treatments Ms. Suleman has used her public assistance $’s for herself.
Laws need to be enacted so people who receive any means of public assistance cannot be used for IVF treatments, and the ethics of doctors who accept these $’s should forfeit their license to practice.
Ms. Suleman should be charged with multiple pre-meditated child abuse resulting in the harm of those children and misuse of public assistance $’s, resulting in fines and incarceration appropriate to the crimes committed
Posted by: Stan | March 5, 2009, 8:45 pm 8:45 pm
anonymous says; Why cant people just leave nadya alone it was her choice to have this many kids and she can find a way to take care of them.she wanted to do this so why cant people just let her live her life how she wants to cause its her choice!!!!!!!!!! just let her make her own mistakes everyone doesnt have to help her….
You go help her take care of 14 kids and help her financially. She is nuts she could not take care of the six she had without saying she was going to kill herself when SHE let one go missing. All 14 should be taken away from her.
Posted by: Tina | March 5, 2009, 11:28 pm 11:28 pm
Kathy, don’t blame this on pro-life groups. I am for life, but I don’t support this in any way, shape or form. This is a procedure that should never have been done in the first place. I’m a tax-paying citizen, and I’m tired of having to foot the bill, along with every other tax-paying citizen for irresponsible behavior. Now that these kids are here, however, they should be put into loving homes of people who can afford to provide for them, and give them a good start in life!
Posted by: DanaDee | March 6, 2009, 6:21 am 6:21 am
TOO MANY KIDS,ENOUGH ALREADY!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: ladybug | March 6, 2009, 9:51 am 9:51 am