8 Babies May Be More Than Enough, Too Many

The mother of the octuplets born Jan. 26 in Bellflower, Calif., has come under increasing criticism since the public learned that she is a 33-year-old single woman who already has six children.  

According to abcnews.com Mike Von Fremd, she lives with her parents in a modest home surrounded by neighbors who are split in their opinion about the birth of the six boys and two girls. 

An 87-year old neighbor said it doesn't make sense to her with the economy the way it is. Others said the young mother takes care of her children and is excited about the new ones. 

The woman's father, who is a native of Iraq, has said he would return to his country to continue with a contracting job to support his grandchildren, who now total 14. His daughter is an only child. 

Medical ethicists and the public are questioning the decision of doctors who implanted so many embryos into such a young woman, who took fertility drugs. With six children already under age 7, including twins, people wonder why she needed the drugs at all. 

In media articles and broadcasts, the woman's parents have said their daughter only intended to have one more child, but she chose not to have selective reduction (abortion) of any of the babies.  

"They all happended to take,"  Angela Suleman told the Los Angeles Times.

The experts and the public are also questioning the wisdom of a single mother and family with financial problems purposely giving birth to so many children who will most likely have medical problems well into childhood and perhaps adulthood.  

Born at Kaiser Permanente Bellflower Medical Center in Bellflower, Calif., they arrived nine weeks premature. Only one, so far, needs help with breathing. 

Dr. Mandhir Gupta and other physicians at the hospital, excited about the births, have held news conferences to report that the children and mother are doing well. 

"My family and I are estatic about all their arrivals," the mother said in a statement read by Dr. Karen Maples.