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6 + Octuplets = FOURTEEN!!!

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  • #46
    Re: 6 + Octuplets = FOURTEEN!!!

    The Dr in question.....

    Octuplet mom was treated at Beverly Hills clinic

    LOS ANGELES – The Southern California mother of octuplets was implanted with embryos at a Beverly Hills fertility clinic run by a well-known — and controversial — specialist who pioneered a method for helping women conceive.

    Dr. Michael Kamrava's name emerged Monday as a result of an interview aired Monday on NBC with Nadya Suleman, who gave birth to eight babies Jan. 26.

    Over the past two weeks, the identity of Suleman's fertility doctor has been a source of great mystery because of questions over the ethics of implanting numerous embryos in a woman who already had six children.

    Kamrava, 57, did not immediately return a pager message left by The Associated Press, and a receptionist at his clinic near Rodeo Drive said he was not giving interviews.

    Without identifying the doctor, the Medical Board of California said last week it was looking into the Suleman case to see if there was a "violation of the standard of care." The medical board said Monday it has not taken any disciplinary action against Kamrava in the past.

    In the NBC interview, Suleman did not identify her doctor by name, but said that she went to the West Coast IVF Clinic in Beverly Hills — of which Kamrava is director — and that all 14 of her children were conceived with help from the same doctor. In 2006, Los Angeles TV station KTLA ran a story on infertility that showed Kamrava treating Suleman and discussing embryo implantation.

    Kamrava graduated from the University of Illinois and went to medical school at Case Western University in Cleveland, according to state records and his Web site.

    Some fertility specialists said Kamrava is a controversial figure in the field.

    "He's tried some novel techniques and some of those methods have been controversial," said Dr. John Jain, founder of Santa Monica Fertility Specialists.

    Jain criticized the decision to implant so many embryos, saying: "I do think that this doctor really stepped outside the guidelines in a very extreme manner, and as such, put both the mother and children at extra high risk of disability and even death."

    Dr. Jeffrey Steinberg, a professional acquaintance of Kamrava's, said Kamrava worked to develop an embryo transfer device that allows doctors to implant an embryo — or sometimes sperm with an unfertilized egg — directly into the uterine lining.

    "Usually we inject the embryos into the uterus and they float around and attach themselves," Steinberg said. However, Steinberg said there was no evidence the method improved success rates for pregnancy.

    It was not immediately known if the technique was used on Suleman.

    Suleman said she had six embryos implanted for each of her pregnancies. The octuplets were a surprise result of her last set of six embryos, she said, explaining she had expected twins at most. Two of the embryos evidently divided in the womb.

    Medical ethicists have criticized the implanting of so many embryos. National guidelines put the norm at two to three embryos for a woman of Suleman's age, except in extraordinary circumstances.

    Kamrava's clinic performed 20 in vitro procedures on women under 35 in 2006, according to the most recent national report compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Of those 20 procedures, four resulted in pregnancies and two in births. One woman delivered twins.

    The average number of embryos he transferred per procedure for women under 35 was 3.5, the report said. Fertility doctors often implant more than one embryo to increase the chances that one will take hold.

    An in-vitro procedure typically costs between $8,000 and $15,000. Asked on NBC how she was able to afford the treatments, Suleman said she had saved money and used some of the more than $165,000 in disability payments she received after being injured in a 1999 riot at a state mental hospital where she worked.

    Dr. Richard Paulson, who heads the fertility program at the University of Southern California, cautioned against rushing to judgment in this case because questions remain about the quality of Suleman's eggs and whether there were any extraordinary circumstances that would lead Kamrava to transfer so many embryos.

    As for the technique Kamrava pioneered, "those of us who are the scientists in the field do not feel this is a significant improvement," Paulson said. He said some doctors advertise that technique as "a way of making patients feel that they are trying something new."

    A call to Suleman's publicist Mike Furtney was not immediately returned Monday.

    Suleman, who is 33, single and unemployed, told NBC's "Today" show she was "fixated" on having children. Suleman said her doctor "did nothing wrong" and had warned her of possible complications to the pregnancy and risks to the development of the babies.

    On Sunday, Suleman's mother, Angela Suleman, seemed to contradict her daughter's account, telling a Web site the fertility specialist who helped her daughter give birth to the octuplets was not the one who aided in the birth of her first six children.

    In an interview with celebrity news Web site RadarOnline.com, Angela Suleman said she and Nadya's father pleaded with her first fertility doctor not to treat their daughter again. She said her daughter went to another doctor.

    "I'm really angry about that," Angela Suleman said of the doctor's decision to perform the procedure. "She already has six beautiful children, why would she do this? I'm struggling to look after her six. We had to put in bunk beds, feed them in shifts and there's children's clothing piled all over the house."

    Angela Suleman said Nadya's boyfriend was the biological father of all 14 children, but that she refused to marry him.

    "He was in love with her and wanted to marry her," she said. "But Nadya wanted to have children on her own."

    ___
    Mom to three wild women.

    Comment


    • #47
      Re: 6 + Octuplets = FOURTEEN!!!

      Originally posted by oceanchild
      Ok, so I am in no way trying to justify her behavior, but I do feel a teensy bit bad for her about the way her mother (the babies' grandmother) is handling this. Doing national news interviews about how horrible your daughter is accomplishes what, exactly?

      I totally agree. There's enough ick in this situation to go around. But I'm honestly surprised we haven't yet heard outcries from religious groups falling on either side of this situation. Either the "you shouldn't be playing God and need to just accept your infertility" or those in the "every embryo deserves to be born" camp.

      There's just nothing in this whole situation that ceases to amaze me. And not in a good way, either.

      Comment


      • #48
        Re: 6 + Octuplets = FOURTEEN!!!

        Originally posted by oceanchild
        Ok, so I am in no way trying to justify her behavior, but I do feel a teensy bit bad for her about the way her mother (the babies' grandmother) is handling this. Doing national news interviews about how horrible your daughter is accomplishes what, exactly?
        I agree. It is clear that the grandma is far more concerned about how the public views her than her daughter or grandchildren. Don't get me wrong, I would be hoppin' mad if that were my daughter but I wouldn't be talking to the press about it.
        Tara
        Married 20 years to MD/PhD in year 3 of MFM fellowship. SAHM to five wonderful children (#6 due in August), a sweet GSD named Bella, a black lab named Toby, and 1 guinea pig.

        Comment


        • #49
          Re: 6 + Octuplets = FOURTEEN!!!

          Maybe I'm seeing something that not there, but...

          I finally saw her interviewed yesterday (I don't know how I'd managed to not see her yet--considering how much news I watch!). She reminded me a lot of Angelina Jolie. Long, dark hair, pouty lips, paced speaking, vaguely breathy, controlled demeanor... And she talks about her selflessness and devotion a lot (Ms. Jolie doesn't, but she projects those things).

          I wonder if she is trying to be her. if she is, she's not doing a substantively good job imitating her idol. I think Ms. Jolie is pretty weird in a lot of ways, but she does not strike me as an irresponsible mother, at all. She can support all the children she's adopted and seems genuinely devoted to their well-being. I don't agree with all Ms. Jolie's personal life choices, but she seems like a grown-up. This young woman--Ms. Suleyman (?)--seems to lack real maturity.

          Did anyone else see this, or was it just me?

          Comment


          • #50
            Re: 6 + Octuplets = FOURTEEN!!!

            and now this-

            She's planning on using her student loans to support her family...

            Jenn

            Comment


            • #51
              Re: 6 + Octuplets = FOURTEEN!!!

              This story(and woman) is insane. This is from MSN from today:

              Nadya Suleman, the mother of the octuplets born last month, gets $490 a month in food stamps, the Los Angeles Times reported Monday evening. Three of her first children also get federal supplemental security income because they are disabled, the Times reported.

              Suleman's publicist, Michael Furtney, confirmed the information.

              During an interview with Ann Curry on the TODAY show, Suleman denied being on welfare. (Msnbc.com is a joint venture of NBC Universal and Microsoft.)

              Suleman told NBC News correspondent Ann Curry in an interview that she was not receiving welfare. Furtney said Suleman didn't consider the food stamps and SSI to be welfare.

              "In Nadya's view, the money that she gets from the food stamp program ... and the resources disabilities payments she gets for her three children are not welfare," he said. "They are part of programs designed to help people with need, and she does not see that as welfare."

              Furtney declined to say what kinds of disabilities the three children have, the Times reported.

              During the interview with Curry, Suleman said, "I'm not receiving help from the government. I'm not trying to expect anything from anybody. [I] just wanted to do it on my own. Any resources that someone would really, really want to help us, I will accept, I would embrace.”

              Curry told Suleman that many people think she had the octuplets in the hope of making money off her story.

              “That's funny how untrue that is,” Suleman said. “Money? Money is necessary to raise children. But it's — it's paper. It is paper. To me, it is superfluous in contrast to the importance of my kids.”

              NBC chief medical editor Dr. Nancy Snyderman has estimated the cost of delivering the infants and caring for them until they are healthy enough to leave the hospital at $1.5 million to $3 million.
              So she IS on welfare. I'm about as liberal as they come, but this is so wrong! 3 children already with disabilities?!?! And I don't remember where I read this(sorry for lack of citation) but she was quoted in some article as only holding each child for 45 minutes a day because she has to rotate through all of them! These kids need to be REMOVED from this woman's custody!!! :soapbox:

              Comment


              • #52
                Re: 6 + Octuplets = FOURTEEN!!!

                Yes, I noticed the Angelina similarty too -- Could that have something to do with her refusal to marry the father?

                And it was in the Today Show interview she said that she holds each baby 45 minutes daily because its good for their development. Of course, that means she's spending 6 hours daily rocking babies. . . when will she have time to take care of her other children and get that degree that is going to make her filthy rich?

                And I wonder how the student loan people will feel about her using the money to pay for the kids?
                Wife and #1 Fan of Attending Adult & Geriatric Psychiatrist.

                Comment


                • #53
                  Re: 6 + Octuplets = FOURTEEN!!!

                  Originally posted by GrayMatterWife
                  Maybe I'm seeing something that not there, but...

                  I finally saw her interviewed yesterday (I don't know how I'd managed to not see her yet--considering how much news I watch!). She reminded me a lot of Angelina Jolie. Long, dark hair, pouty lips, paced speaking, vaguely breathy, controlled demeanor... And she talks about her selflessness and devotion a lot (Ms. Jolie doesn't, but she projects those things).

                  I wonder if she is trying to be her. if she is, she's not doing a substantively good job imitating her idol. I think Ms. Jolie is pretty weird in a lot of ways, but she does not strike me as an irresponsible mother, at all. She can support all the children she's adopted and seems genuinely devoted to their well-being. I don't agree with all Ms. Jolie's personal life choices, but she seems like a grown-up. This young woman--Ms. Suleyman (?)--seems to lack real maturity.

                  Did anyone else see this, or was it just me?
                  I noticed the similarity too. Perhaps you're onto something? :huh:
                  Charlene~Married to an attending Ophtho Mudphud and Mom to 2 daughters

                  Comment


                  • #54
                    Re: 6 + Octuplets = FOURTEEN!!!

                    They actually mentioned the Angelina similarity on the Today Show this morning, even putting photos of the two side by side.

                    As for using student loans to support 14 kids – good luck, honey. For three years (not including the summers) we basically lived off of student loans and they barely supported my tiny two person family. She's a special kind of crazy.

                    Comment


                    • #55
                      Re: 6 + Octuplets = FOURTEEN!!!

                      How's her back (her disability after the riot) feeling after carrying octuplets?
                      Mom of 3, Veterinarian

                      Comment


                      • #56
                        Re: 6 + Octuplets = FOURTEEN!!!

                        Originally posted by Bittersweet
                        They actually mentioned the Angelina similarity on the Today Show this morning, even putting photos of the two side by side.
                        Oh, good! I'm not nuts then! (Or, at least, this circumstance isn't evidence of my insanity!)

                        Comment


                        • #57
                          Re: 6 + Octuplets = FOURTEEN!!!

                          I didn't even think about the weird similarities with Angelina Jolie until I read about it here. And, I think you might be on to something. Is this a case of celebrity worship?
                          Who uses a machete to cut through red tape
                          With fingernails that shine like justice
                          And a voice that is dark like tinted glass

                          Comment


                          • #58
                            Re: 6 + Octuplets = FOURTEEN!!!

                            Well, stick a fork in me; I'm done. Just speechless.

                            Here is her official website where you can donate money. All major credit cards accepted.

                            http://www.thenadyasulemanfamily.com/

                            Comment


                            • #59
                              Re: 6 + Octuplets = FOURTEEN!!!

                              Originally posted by Chuddy26
                              Well, stick a fork in me; I'm done. Just speechless.

                              Here is her official website where you can donate money. All major credit cards accepted.

                              http://www.thenadyasulemanfamily.com/


                              What the ?

                              Comment


                              • #60
                                Re: 6 + Octuplets = FOURTEEN!!!

                                I wonder what her DSM-IV is?
                                Luanne
                                wife, mother, nurse practitioner

                                "You have not converted a man because you have silenced him." (John, Viscount Morely, On Compromise, 1874)

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