Unless you have been living on the moon the past month, you have probably heard about the American woman who gave birth to octuplets. The mother, Nadya Suleman, 33, of Bellflower, Cal., has been a frequent face on the news, because of the public controversy surrounding the birth of her eight children.

Already a mother to six, Suleman, has had all her children by in vitro fertilization. This is the second time a set of octuplets has been born in the United States, but the Suleman octuplets are the world’s longest-living.

Suleman has come under public scrutiny. Many question the morality her choosing to have six embryos (one spilt during pregnancy) implanted when the recommended safe limit is three. On Oprah Winfrey’s Web site, Dr. James Grifo, director of the NYU Fertility Center and member of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, gives his opinion on the situation.

“This case is very troubling for those of us who treat patients with infertility,” Grifo says. “It’s amazing that these babies were able to survive, but this is not a good outcome for anybody.”

Many people have questioned the morality of the situation because of the high risk the babies were at during birth, and the potential medical problems they could face in the future. While there are no federal or state laws controlling embryo transfer, the Society of Reproductive Medicine’s guidelines for a woman of Suleman’s age state that no more than two embryos should be transferred.

Cacky Tate, an Auburn University nursing student, expresses her opinion.

“I think it is very irresponsible for her to voluntarily choose to have so many embryos implanted in her,” says Tate. “All the babies were born premature and severely underweight, and anytime a baby is born too early it could potentially develop a number of severe health problems or die.”

Despite the medical risks the mother and babies were/are under, many people have also expressed concern that Suleman does not have a substantial income. While she does not have a job, Suleman injured her back while working in 1999 and received about $ 170,000 in disability payments. In February of this year, she also began receiving $490 in food stamps.

Russell Warren, an Auburn University public relations student, explains that he would never want to provide her with his PR services.

“I would drop her in a heartbeat,” says Warren. “I think she is a lost cause. She is living off tax payer dollars, and she chose to have this unorthodox pregnancy even after she has six children at home.”

Over the next few months, the babies will possibly be released from the hospital to the mother.


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