Cheaper by the Dozen? Pregnant with 12 Babies? Come On, Didn’t the “Octomom” Teach Them Anything?
By Theresa M. Erickson
All I can say this morning, is come on, people! Thank goodness this is not in the US….did the “Octomom” not teach everyone a good lesson.
So, for those of you who have not heard, a woman in Gafsa, Tunisia is apparently pregnant with 12 babies. No one is certain how the 12 were conceived, but Dr. Dr. Mark Hamilton, of the British Fertility Society thinks that “the woman could have been receiving ovulation induction treatment, which stimulates egg production. You don’t have the same control as with IVF.” But, again, there is a responsibility on behalf of the clinic when the follicle count is that high. Don’t you think? Or, am I way off base?
The teacher, who has not yet been named, is expecting six boys and six girls, according to reports. She conceived the babies following fertility treatments, after suffering a number of miscarriages. Fertility experts confirmed the extraordinary pregnancy was possible, but carried “colossal” risks – really? We did not know that.
Sorry for being cynical, but I certainly hope that this is not some hope for a reality show.
According to Fox News and Dr. Manny Alvarez, managing health editor of FOXNews.com, he said it is possible for someone to be pregnant with 12 babies, and he has in fact seen a woman pregnant with nine babies. However, the likelihood of this woman carrying all 12 babies to term is very slim.
“When you get to a pregnancy with that many multiples, often some of them spontaneously die,” Alvarez said. “Anything more than five babies becomes a very high-risk pregnancy.”
If the woman does succeed in carrying a majority of the babies to term, Alvarez said she will need constant monitoring, and will more than likely need to be hospitilized.
“The rates of premature labor for multiples are astronomical,” he added.”
Nadya Suleman of Bellflower, Calif., currently holds the record for the longest-living octuplets in history.
Posted in Assisted Reproduction, Blog, Ethics, IVF | (1) Comments/Questions
As a follow up to this commentary today, I do want to note something that I was reminded of as follows from a doctor in this industry, which must be noted: “Not that I am usually so sensitive but “them” might be interpreted as referring to reproductive endocrinologists. In my blog, http://www.facebook.com/l/;Thefertilitydoc.com, I have an article on octomom. I site the SART recommendations on the number of embryos transferred and my endorsement of making this a regulation. I talk about the benefits of IVF where one can control the number of embryos transferred compared to IUI where as many eggs as you make can fertilize and implant. I am sure you know that 99% of REIs were absolutely aghast that 6 embryos were transferred into one woman. Perhaps this Tunisian pregnancy of a dozen implanted embryos should teach us that it is cheaper for insurance companies, the government and society to support IVF treatment rather than put people in a position where they feel compelled to play roulette with their lives by doing gonadotropins and IUIs rather than IVF.” And, I know personally that he is true. Please take that into account when reading my comments.