The Suleman family—33-year-old Nadya and her octuplets—has been at the center of a raging media storm ever since the babies’ controversial birth a little more than a month ago.
On Jan. 26, Suleman gave birth to six boys and two girls—weighing between 1 pound, 8 ounces, and 3 pounds, 4 ounces—at Kaiser Permanente Bellflower Medical Center in Los Angeles.
Following the birth, hospital officials were tight-lipped about the mother’s identity and whether or not she used fertility drugs. But information soon began to surface.
Media reports explained that the unemployed Suleman used in vitro fertilization to conceive the octuplets—and six previous children, all currently younger than 7. Her fertility treatments seemed to go against unofficial guidelines set by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, which argue that women younger than 35 should receive no more than two embryos.
Suleman’s living situation and the questionable medical practices surrounding the octuplets’ birth sparked a heated public discourse on the ethics of in vitro fertilization. The story and its major players quickly became popular headline fodder, drawing either awestruck praise or appalled criticism from the public.
“This woman doesn’t have the wherewithal to take care of these children,” said Dr. Alex Steinleitner, an infertility specialist in Santa Maria. “The new economic times have made the public very upset about the fact that [the babies] are going to have to be our responsibility.”
Even more alarming from a professional standpoint, Steinleitner said, is why a doctor would agree to give a single mother in her financial situation the number of fertility treatments she received.
In vitro fertilization can be very expensive, requiring hopeful parents to spend thousands of dollars to get pregnant. And as the nation’s economy continues to decline, Steinleitner said, many big-name fertility clinics continue to lose revenue and patient volume.
“Clinics like the one in Los Angeles advertise themselves based on pregnancy success,” Steinleitner said.
Patients tend to do everything possible to get pregnant while spending the least amount of money. Likewise, doctors often do everything possible to get their patients pregnant. The mixture, Steinleitner said, can sometimes create a conflict of interest, which results in ethical gray areas.
Many countries have created legislation dictating fertility treatments. The United States, however, has yet to sign anything into law.
Many fertility specialists will work to prevent multiple pregnancies, which are considered high-risk for both the mother and the babies. Multiple pregnancies are more likely to result in premature birth and developmental problems, especially in the brain and lungs.
“About 15 percent of triplet births have a bad outcome,” Steinleitner said. “Beyond quadruplets, it’s just a nightmare.”
The Suleman octuplets, he said, “got lucky.”
Responding to harsh criticism from medical ethicists, the Medical Board of California has since begun an investigation of the octuplet birth. The identity of Suleman’s doctor, however, has yet to be revealed.
“The case is a reminder of what is right,” Steinleitner said. “We, as a society, and as a profession, want to educate the public.”
Suleman’s case portrays a negative side of fertility treatments, he explained, but better educating the public about in vitro fertilization and other medical advancements in the field can help.
“It will prevent ‘octo’ babies and other medical issues from happening,” Steinleitner said, noting that such action would put the focus back on the field’s intended purpose.
“All the patients that come out of my office with a baby in their arms and a smile on their face—that doesn’t get reported because it’s not a miracle anymore,” he said.
“[In vitro fertilization] is a useful tool that has come of age,” he summed up. “We need to tighten up standards and increase knowledge on all levels. … And, as with anything in medicine, people have to be informed consumers.”
Contact Staff Writer Amy Asman at aasman@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Mar 12-19, 2009.
