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The woman who had octuplets has been running the news for the past several weeks. Little was known in the beginning news breaks, but now the facts have started to surface slowly. Nadya Suleman went through the process of in vitro fertilization in order to have her children. However, she did not receive the normal one or two embryos that most women do, she received six fertilized embryos. Two of the embryos developed into twins and she birthed a total of eight children on January 26. Despite the cheerful reception by people and news in the beginning, the question of ethics came into mind after digging deeper. Nadya Suleman is a single mother who already has six children. She has no current income and lives in a three bedroom house with her parents.

In the interviews with Ann Curry of NBC, Suleman said that she has always wanted a large family and that she thought her kids would want the same. Is this a selfish move on her part though? Was her motive for the company siblings would provide to one another or was it only her lifelong dream? Will her kids really want to share the attention of the mother with thirteen others? “NBC contributor and psychiatrist Dr. Gail Saltz added that there will be emotional issues to deal with as well. “Undoubtedly these eight children are going to have issues: at the minimum, the issue of neglect,” Saltz told Lauer” (Celizic). An even a bigger concern across the medical field is her children’s physical health. Was her dream of a large family worth the physical and mental complications that occur during large number births like hers? None of the children have fully developed and when they do some of them will most likely have a physical or mental disability. It seems as though her want for a large family overshadowed what is best for her children. Another topic on everyone’s mind is how Nadya Suleman will support these children? She already has six to pay for, but now eight premature babies as well. The hospital bills alone would make anyone cringe, but what about basics when they are able to go home. Food, clothes, and even a proper place to sleep are all necessities when raising children. Granted, there will probably be sponsors that want to donate to her, but surely that will not cover everything. “‘I know I'll be able to afford them when I'm done with my schooling,’ the 33-year-old single mom replied” in the interview with Ann Curry of NBC; she seems to think that she is going to school in the fall for some outstanding reason. Does she think she will actually have time? Perhaps she is just hoping that someone will want to buy her story or be the next “Jon and Kate Plus 8”, and it has surfaced “that her client is being deluged with offers for book deals, TV shows and other business proposals, but has not decided what she might do other than care for her children, her newly hired spokeswoman said Monday” (Celizic). However, she continues to emphasize that her family, friends, and church will support her through this and that she will be able to afford her children and their hospital bill; a huge bill which will surely be over one million dollars and could be footed by the taxpayers because of her lack of funds and insurance. Contradicting herself though, she has created a new website, www.thenadyasulemanfamily.com, which accepts donations of baby items or conveniently accepts money from Visa, MasterCard, and other major credit cards.

What about the clinic where she received the in vitro fertilization? Did they know that she had six other children? Suleman went to the West Coast IVF Clinic in Beverly Hills, California and had the same doctor perform her in vitro fertilization for all of her children (Mohajer). Dr. Kamrava, a controversial doctor already, is now under the eye of the public. “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” (Mohajer). The implanting of six embryos is nearly unheard of especially for someone who already has six children at home with no income coming into that home. It seems as if there should be a process to make sure those children can be care for and support if they do all develop.

I think that this rare occurrence should begin the making of requirements and certain qualifications for those who want to receive in vitro. I think that income and the ability to support and provide for the children should be assessed. Financial and emotional support should be looked at before a mother or couple can receive in vitro fertilization. I sincerely hope these children will receive the life that they deserve and will enjoy, but I also hope that other occurrences like this can be prevented. It just seems selfish and harmful to these children that because their mother wanted a large family now they will have to share the attention and money of their mother. I hope that new regulations will be placed on the in vitro fertilization process. Also, regulations on in vitro fertilization clinics should be created. Doctors, like Dr. Karmrava, should be limited on the number of embryos that can be planted at once. It is safer for the mother and the children to not have so many multiple births.