Suleman octuplets | |
---|---|
Born |
January 26, 2009 Bellflower, California, U.S. |
Known for | First known surviving set of octuplets |
The Suleman octuplets are six male and two female children conceived via in vitro fertilization (IVF) and subsequently born to Nadya Suleman on January 26, 2009, in Bellflower, California. Residing in Lancaster, California, they are the first known octuplets to survive their infancy. The extremely controversial circumstances of their high-order multiple birth have led to debates in the field of assisted reproductive technology and an investigation by the Medical Board of California of the fertility specialist involved in the case. [1]
Suleman's octuplets were conceived by in vitro fertilization (IVF) conducted by Dr. Michael Kamrava. Suleman claimed to have requested the transfer of six embryos that she had accumulated from previous IVF treatments, despite being informed that the recommended guideline limit for a woman her age was three. [1] She stated she wanted all six transferred, as they were all that remained from previous harvest cycles, and she neither wanted to destroy them nor to continue paying for their frozen storage. [2] A subsequent Medical Board of California investigation revealed that 29 embryos remained in frozen storage; nevertheless, Suleman underwent a fresh embryo transfer cycle, and Dr. Kamrava transferred 12 fresh blastocysts into Suleman at her request. [3] The mother's health and gestational status were followed from her first trimester.[ citation needed ]
The delivery (via a scheduled Caesarean section) involved 46 medical personnel and was practiced twice beforehand at the Kaiser Permanente Bellflower Medical Offices in Bellflower, California. Suleman carried the babies to 31 weeks. Doctors anticipated seven babies, so the eighth came as a surprise. [4] Born over the course of five minutes, all eight babies were immediately reported in stable condition; though two required intubation and a ventilator, and another required extra oxygen. [5]
The babies' names are Noah, Maliyah, Isaiah, Nariyah, Jonah, Makai, Josiah, and Jeremiah. Suleman stated that she chose biblical names and gave all eight the middle name Angel, and that their surname would be Solomon, after their biological father. [6] [7] [8]
The following data from Kaiser Permanente indicate their birth order, birth time, weight, and given name at the time of discharge: [5]
Baby order | Time of birth | Gender | Birth weight | Name |
---|---|---|---|---|
A | 10:43 am | Boy | 2 lb 11 oz (1.2 kg) | Noah |
B | 10:44 am | Girl | 2 lb 12 oz (1.2 kg) | Maliyah |
C | 10:45 am | Boy | 3 lb 4 oz (1.5 kg) | Isaiah |
D | 10:45 am | Girl | 2 lb 8 oz (1.1 kg) | Nariyah |
E | 10:46 am | Boy | 1 lb 8 oz (0.68 kg) | Jonah |
F | 10:47 am | Boy | 2 lb 12 oz (1.2 kg) | Makai |
G | 10:47 am | Boy | 1 lb 15 oz (0.88 kg) | Josiah |
H | 10:48 am | Boy | 2 lb 11 oz (1.2 kg) | Jeremiah |
Baby C (Isaiah) was the largest of the children at 3 lbs, 4 oz, and Baby E (Jonah) was the smallest. Baby H (Jeremiah) had not previously been visible on the ultrasound. [5]
Two days after birth, five of the eight infants received their first tube-feeding of donated breast milk. Josiah rejected his first tube-feeding and was returned to intravenous feeding, as his stomach was unable to absorb breast milk. At that time, three of the other infants had been fed intravenously since birth and had yet to receive their first tube-feeding. [9] [10]
Six days after birth, all eight babies were breathing without assistance and were being fed donated breast milk, as well as intravenous nutritional supplements. A hospital spokesman said the octuplets were expected to remain in the hospital for several more weeks. [11]
One week after birth, the Suleman octuplets became the longest-living octuplets in United States history, as the smallest of the Chukwu octuplets born in Houston in 1998 died seven days after birth. [12] [13] Suleman set the Guinness World Record for the most children delivered at a single birth to survive. [14]
Ten days after the birth of her octuplets, Suleman was released from the hospital. In her February 5, 2009, interview, Suleman stated that she held each of the octuplets for 45 minutes a day, holding the smallest, Jonah (born at 1 lb, 8 oz), the longest. [15] [16]
The hospital where the octuplets were expected to spend seven to twelve weeks, requested significant reimbursement from Medi-Cal, the state's Medicaid program, for care of the eight premature babies. [17]
Suleman's mother stated that a single sperm donor named David Solomon [18] was used to produce the octuplets as well as her previous six children. [19] [20] Suleman stated that she dated David once, but then realized that she only wanted him to father her children and not to pursue any relationship with him. [21] The octuplets' grandfather and others have accused Suleman of making up a fictitious David Solomon, as she had used the name for the father on birth certificates of her other children, but with a different birthdate. [22] [23] [24]
On the February 23, 2009, edition of ABC's Good Morning America , a man named Denis Beaudoin claimed to be the biological father of Suleman's children. He said they had dated from 1997 to 1999 and that Suleman asked him if he would donate the sperm. Beaudoin requested a paternity test to verify his claim. Suleman denied that he was the donor. [25] [26] [27]
Suleman's ex-husband, Marcos Gutierrez, who divorced Suleman in 2006, denied being the biological father. [28]
In 2009 the octuplets' maternal grandfather, 67-year-old Edward Doud Suleman, identifying himself as a former Iraqi military man, said he would be returning to his native Iraq as a translator and driver, in order to financially support his daughter and her 14 children. [29] [30] Their grandmother, 69-year-old Angela Victoria Suleman, a retired teacher, has helped look after the first six children. She indicated that she was overwhelmed looking after them, and was critical of her daughter in her public statements in 2009. For example, she said that her daughter did not contribute toward housing or food costs. [31] [29] [32] [33]
News of the octuplets caused an international media sensation. [34] Suleman had even gone into hiding. [35]
There has been much public discussion about Nadya Suleman's decision to transfer, carry, and give birth to octuplets. [36] [37] Many expressed concern that her decision for more children, despite being unemployed and unmarried, would burden taxpayers via public support. [38]
State Senator Gloria Negrete McLeod introduced legislation to have fertility clinics placed under the jurisdiction of the Medical Board of California. [39] The transfer of twelve embryos in a woman under 35 years of age who already had children raised many controversies and led to calls for legislation to limit the number of simultaneous embryo transfers.[ citation needed ]
The Medical Board of California announced on February 6, 2009, that it was investigating Dr. Kamrava, the physician who transferred the embryos, in an attempt to substantiate if there was a violation of the standard of care. The American Society for Reproductive Medicine expressed interest in assisting the Board in its investigation. [40] [41] [42] Kamrava had also provided fertility treatment to a 49-year-old woman who was uninsured, 5 months pregnant with quadruplets, and hospitalized at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center, where at least seven embryos were used. [42] [43] In October 2009, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine announced that it had expelled Dr. Kamrava. [44]
In January 2010, charges were filed with the California Medical Board in relation to the conception of the octuplets. The complaint also stated that Kamrava had exercised gross negligence, acted "beyond the reasonable judgment" of any physician, and used a number of embryos that "far exceeded" existing guidelines. [45] [46]
On June 1, 2011, the California Board announced that Dr. Kamrava's license would be revoked effective July 1. [3] [47] The charges also included the assertion that fresh, non-frozen embryos were used each time. [45] [48]
On May 8, 2013, the State Medical Board of Ohio denied Kamrava restoration of his medical license after he filed an appeal to practice there as it was the state where he was educated. [49]
According to The New York Times , Kamrava hid his assets in the Cook Islands, making use of its asset-protection trust laws. [50]
In July 2016, Kamrava filed an appeal with the California Medical Board to reinstate his license to practice in California. The Board rejected the appeal in September 2016. [51]
A 2018 New York Times article stated that the octuplets at age nine were "small for their age, but they're polite, they cook, they're vegan, they read two books a month and do their homework without being prompted. In spite of all of the horror stories in the tabloids since birth, they're model fourth graders." With 14 siblings in all, the children ate in shifts and some slept on the couch. [52]
In March 2019, the Australian current affairs program Sunday Night interviewed Suleman for the octuplets' tenth birthday; it was noted that the Suleman household is run with "military precision", and the children are "happy, healthy, and well-mannered". [53]
In vitro fertilisation (IVF) is a process of fertilisation where an egg is combined with sperm in vitro. The process involves monitoring and stimulating a woman's ovulatory process, removing an ovum or ova from their ovaries and letting a man's sperm fertilise them in a culture medium in a laboratory. After the fertilised egg (zygote) undergoes embryo culture for 2–6 days, it is transferred by catheter into the uterus, with the intention of establishing a successful pregnancy.
A multiple birth is the culmination of one multiple pregnancy, wherein the mother gives birth to two or more babies. A term most applicable to vertebrate species, multiple births occur in most kinds of mammals, with varying frequencies. Such births are often named according to the number of offspring, as in twins and triplets. In non-humans, the whole group may also be referred to as a litter, and multiple births may be more common than single births. Multiple births in humans are the exception and can be exceptionally rare in the largest mammals.
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) is an executive non-departmental public body of the Department of Health and Social Care in the United Kingdom. It is a statutory body that regulates and inspects all clinics in the United Kingdom providing in vitro fertilisation (IVF), artificial insemination and the storage of human eggs, sperm or embryos. It also regulates human embryo research.
Assisted reproductive technology (ART) includes medical procedures used primarily to address infertility. This subject involves procedures such as in vitro fertilization (IVF), intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), cryopreservation of gametes or embryos, and/or the use of fertility medication. When used to address infertility, ART may also be referred to as fertility treatment. ART mainly belongs to the field of reproductive endocrinology and infertility. Some forms of ART may be used with regard to fertile couples for genetic purpose. ART may also be used in surrogacy arrangements, although not all surrogacy arrangements involve ART. The existence of sterility will not always require ART to be the first option to consider, as there are occasions when its cause is a mild disorder that can be solved with more conventional treatments or with behaviors based on promoting health and reproductive habits.
Surrogacy is an arrangement, often supported by a legal agreement, whereby a woman agrees to childbirth on behalf of another person(s) who will become the child's parent(s) after birth. People pursue surrogacy for a variety of reasons such as infertility, dangers or undesirable factors of pregnancy, or when pregnancy is a medical impossibility.
Superfecundation is the fertilization of two or more ova from the same cycle by sperm from separate acts of sexual intercourse, which can lead to twin babies from two separate biological fathers. The term superfecundation is derived from fecund, meaning able to produce offspring. Homopaternal superfecundation is fertilization of two separate ova from the same father, leading to fraternal twins, while heteropaternal superfecundation is a form of atypical twinning where, genetically, the twins are half siblings – sharing the same mother, but with different fathers.
Thomson Medical Centre Limited is a 190-bed private hospital located at Thomson Road in Singapore. The hospital specialises in gynaecology and in vitro fertilisation (IVF). Thomson Medical Centre runs a 24-hour outpatient family clinic, as well as a range of specialist clinics.
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It created the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority which is in charge of human embryo research, along with monitoring and licensing fertility clinics in the United Kingdom.
Doug Bruckner is an American television news correspondent, reporter, host, voice-over artist and producer, who is among the best-known correspondents in the history of tabloid television, well known for his exclusive interviews with notorious criminals.
The Chukwu octuplets were the fifth set of live-born octuplets in recorded history, and the first to have seven of eight children survive infancy. The birth happened in December 1998.
Adam Steven Barta is an American actor, reality star, and musician from the Bronx, New York. He has had four charting singles on the Billboard Dance Chart and is known for his duets and viral videos with Alana Thompson from Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, Farrah Abraham, Margaret Cho, Nadya Suleman (Octomom), Tan Mom, Eureka O'Hara, Mariah Lynn, and Jonah Falcon.
Fertility tourism is the practice of traveling to another country or jurisdiction for fertility treatment, and may be regarded as a form of medical tourism. A person who can become pregnant is considered to have fertility issues if they are unable to have a clinical pregnancy after 12 months of unprotected intercourse. Infertility, or the inability to get pregnant, affects about 8-12% of couples looking to conceive or 186 million people globally. In some places, rates of infertility surpass the global average and can go up to 30% depending on the country. Areas with lack of resources, such as assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs), tend to correlate with the highest rates of infertility.
Natalie Denise Suleman, known as Octomom in the media, is an American media personality who came to international attention when she gave birth to the first surviving octuplets in January 2009. The circumstances of their high-order multiple birth led to controversy in the field of assisted reproductive technology as well as an investigation by the Medical Board of California of the fertility specialist involved.
Religious response to assisted reproductive technology deals with the new challenges for traditional social and religious communities raised by modern assisted reproductive technology. Because many religious communities have strong opinions and religious legislation regarding marriage, sex and reproduction, modern fertility technology has forced religions to respond.
Cryopreservation of embryos is the process of preserving an embryo at sub-zero temperatures, generally at an embryogenesis stage corresponding to pre-implantation, that is, from fertilisation to the blastocyst stage.
Gina Rodriguez is an American former pornographic actress known for her work with "D-Listers" such as Nadya Suleman and Michael Lohan. In 2017 she starred in and executive produced the WEtv docu-series Mama June: From Not to Hot.
Octomom Home Alone is a pornographic film featuring prominent American mother Nadya Suleman, also known as "Octomom", masturbating. The DVD was released on 16 July 2012 by Wicked Pictures and drew media attention given Suleman's celebrity and recognition from the AVN Awards.
Fertility fraud is the failure on the part of a fertility doctor to obtain consent from a patient before inseminating her with his own sperm. This normally occurs in the context of people using assisted reproductive technology (ART) to address fertility issues.
Halima Cissé is the Malian mother to the world's only nonuplets known to have survived birth.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Pete Demetrious, we only have a little bit of time, but Nadya has said that this other guy who has just come forward is not the real father. And on some of the birth certificates of four of the six children she had before she had the octuplets she listed a David Solomon, but they had different birth dates for this so-called father. Is David Solomon a real person or a fictional person?
DEMETRIOU: Doesn't matter whether he's real or fictional, because the mother is not obligated under law to provide any real data on the parent or the father. Not only that, in the case of a sperm donor, she probably wouldn't know anyway. So she could name David Solomon, John Doe or Chewbacca, for all that we know.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: I'm sure Chewbacca is going to be coming up soon and saying that he donated the sperm.
Lawyers drumming up business say they have found just the place: the Cook Islands. And, thanks to a recently released trove of documents, it's become clear that hundreds of wealthy people have stashed their money there, including a felon who ran a $7 billion Ponzi scheme and the doctor who lost his license in the Octomom case."; "Dr. Michael M. Kamrava, who lost his medical license after implanting embryos allowing Nadya Suleiman, the so-called Octomom, to give birth to octuplets, placed his interest in a Beverly Hills surgery center and a Swiss bank account on his 'Athena Trust'.