The Octuplets

When I heard about the birth of Octuplets in the US, I was just pleased they all survived. I was surprised when discussing them with a Doctor a few days later, to hear him say the doctors involved should all be struck off as doctors.

I has assumed the multiple births was just a result of luck, or fertility drugs. But this Doctor said he thought she had multiple embryos implanted inside her. This Reuters story confirms she did.

That is just disgusting. There is such a low probability of them all surviving, it is unethical for a doctor to agree to implant six embryos inside someone. This is regardless of the fact she already had six children. Wikipedia states the official guidlines are no more than two embryos.

The mother, Nadya Suleman, is trying to sell interview for $2 million a pop. I hope the decision to have such a high number of children in one go, was not designed to be newsworthy and hence marketable.

For those wondering the highest number for multiple births has been 15 – quindecaplets. They all died at 4 months.