Suleman octuplets
Encyclopedia
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
. They presently reside in La Habra, California
. They are only the second full set of octuplets to be born alive in the United States and, having survived more than a week, surpassed the previous worldwide survival-rate for a complete set of octuplets set by the Chukwu octuplets
of 1998. The extremely controversial circumstances of their high order multiple birth has led to debate in the field of assisted reproductive technology
as well as an investigation by the Medical Board of California
of the fertility specialist involved, regarding the transfer of twelve embryos at once.
in birth order are:
, which she declined.
In January 2010, charges were filed against the doctor who performed Suleman's IVF, his license was revoked by the Medical Board of California, effective July 1, 2011. The charges include gross negligence and implanting a number of embryos that "far exceeds" guidelines for the patient's age and history. In addition, the charges also include the assertion that fresh, and not frozen, embryos were used each time. This is in direct contradiction to Suleman's claims that she had used all of her remaining frozen embryos so they would not be destroyed. Additionally, time has shown there are not two sets of identical twins in the octuplets, which would have to be the case if indeed only 6 embryos were implanted as Ms. Suleman claimed.
, via a scheduled Caesarean section
, involved 46 medical personnel, and was practiced twice beforehand at the Kaiser Permanente
hospital in . Doctors anticipated seven babies, so the eighth came as a surprise. 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.
It has been documented in many places that Nadya Suleman had at least eight embryos implanted (since none of them are identical), and also that she had 'fresh' embryos implanted, rather than the frozen ones which she claimed at the time. Her ex-publicist has stated in interviews that she had 12 embryos transferred and she told him personally of the great lengths she went to conceal the fact. None of the octuplets are identical (monozygotic) twins and she still has many embryos frozen in storage. All of her 14 children have been born as a result of fresh embryo transfer.
. 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.
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.
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.
Ten days after the birth of her octuplets, Suleman was released from the hospital. In her February 5, 2009 interview, Suleman stated that she holds each of the octuplets for 45 minutes a day, holding the smallest, a son named Jonah (born at 1 lb., 8 oz.) the longest.
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.
and was raised in La Puente
, Hacienda Heights
and Rowland Heights
, all cities in the San Gabriel Valley
of Los Angeles County
. She is the only child of Edward and Angela Doud, who married in Las Vegas
in 1974, and divorced in 1999.
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 stated they dated from 1997 to 1999 and Suleman asked him if he would donate the sperm. Beaudoin is requesting a paternity test be performed to verify his claim. Suleman has since denied that he was the donor.
i 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 fourteen children. Their grandmother, 69-year-old Angela Victoria Suleman, a retired teacher, has helped to look after the first six children. She has indicated that she is overwhelmed looking after them, and has been critical of her daughter in her recent public statements. For example, she has stated that her daughter does not contribute toward housing or food costs.
There has been much public discussion about Nadya Suleman's decision to implant and give birth to octuplets, including a minor protest outside the Suleman home, though Nadya Suleman was living elsewhere. Many expressed concern that Suleman's decision for more children, despite being unemployed and unmarried, would burden taxpayers via public support.
The implantation 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. The Medical Board of California
announced on February 6, 2009, that it was investigating Dr. Michael 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. The doctor also provided fertility treatment to a 49-year-old woman who is uninsured, 5 months pregnant with quadruplets, and hospitalized at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center
. At least seven embryos were used. In October, 2009 the American Society for Reproductive Medicine announced that it had expelled Dr. Michael Kamrava. In January, 2010, charges were filed with the California Medical Board in direct relation to the conception of the octuplets. The complaint also stated that he exercised gross negligence and acted "beyond the reasonable judgment" of any physician and used a number of embryos that "far exceeded" existing guidelines. The Board announced on June 1, 2011 that Dr. Kamrava's license would be revoked in July.
Nadya Suleman
Nadya Denise Doud-Suleman , known as Octomom in the media, is an American woman who came to international attention when she gave birth to octuplets in January 2009. The Suleman octuplets are only the second full set of octuplets to be born alive in the United States...
on January 26, 2009, in Bellflower, California
Bellflower, California
Bellflower is a city in Los Angeles County, California, and is a suburb of Los Angeles. It was incorporated on September 3, 1957. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 76,616, up from 72,878 at the 2000 census....
. They presently reside in La Habra, California
La Habra, California
La Habra is a city in the northwestern corner of Orange County, California. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 60,239. Its related city, La Habra Heights is located to the north of La Habra, and is in Los Angeles County.-Origin of name:...
. They are only the second full set of octuplets to be born alive in the United States and, having survived more than a week, surpassed the previous worldwide survival-rate for a complete set of octuplets set by the Chukwu octuplets
Chukwu octuplets
The Chukwu octuplets were the first set of octuplets live-born in the United States.-Family history:The six girls and two boys were born in December 1998 at St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital in Houston, Texas. Their parents — mother, Nkem Chukwu, then 27, and father, Iyke Louis Udobi, then 41 — were...
of 1998. The extremely controversial circumstances of their high order multiple birth has led to debate in the field of assisted reproductive technology
Assisted reproductive technology
Assisted reproductive technology is a general term referring to methods used to achieve pregnancy by artificial or partially artificial means. It is reproductive technology used primarily in infertility treatments. Some forms of ART are also used in fertile couples for genetic reasons...
as well as an investigation by the Medical Board of California
Medical Board of California
The Medical Board of California is a state government agency which licenses and disciplines physicians, surgeons and certain allied healthcare professions in California...
of the fertility specialist involved, regarding the transfer of twelve embryos at once.
Names
The babies' names, sex and birth weightBirth weight
Birth weight is the body weight of a baby at its birth.There have been numerous studies that have attempted, with varying degrees of success, to show links between birth weight and later-life conditions, including diabetes, obesity, tobacco smoking and intelligence.-Determinants:There are...
in birth order are:
- Noah Angel Solomon - male; 2 lbs 8 oz
- Maliyah Angel Solomon - female; 2 lbs 2 oz
- Isaiah Angel Solomon - male; 3 lbs 1 oz
- Nariyah Angel Solomon - female; 2 lbs 3 oz
- Jonah Angel Solomon - male; 1 lb 8 oz
- Josiah Angel Solomon - male; 2 lbs 9 oz
- Jeremiah Angel Solomon - male; 1 lb 13 oz
- Makai Angel Solomon - male; 2 lbs 7 oz
Conception
The octuplets were conceived by in-vitro fertilization (IVF) conducted by Doctor Michael Kamrava. Although Nadya Suleman claims she had six embryos remaining from previous IVF treatments transferred, despite being informed that for a woman her age the recommended guideline limit was three, it has subsequently been found out that Kamrava implanted 12 embryos. She falsely claimed part of her reasoning for attempting another pregnancy was so that the remaining embryos would not be destroyed, and falsely claimed that two embryos split (which would have resulted in two sets of identical twins). The mother's health and gestational status were followed from her first trimester. Five fetuses were evident after one month and Suleman was offered the option of selective reductionSelective reduction
Selective reduction is the practice of aborting one or more fetuses in a multifetal pregnancy. Such an abortion procedure is often performed after a congenital defect has been identified...
, which she declined.
In January 2010, charges were filed against the doctor who performed Suleman's IVF, his license was revoked by the Medical Board of California, effective July 1, 2011. The charges include gross negligence and implanting a number of embryos that "far exceeds" guidelines for the patient's age and history. In addition, the charges also include the assertion that fresh, and not frozen, embryos were used each time. This is in direct contradiction to Suleman's claims that she had used all of her remaining frozen embryos so they would not be destroyed. Additionally, time has shown there are not two sets of identical twins in the octuplets, which would have to be the case if indeed only 6 embryos were implanted as Ms. Suleman claimed.
Birth
The deliveryChildbirth
Childbirth is the culmination of a human pregnancy or gestation period with the birth of one or more newborn infants from a woman's uterus...
, via a scheduled Caesarean section
Caesarean section
A Caesarean section, is a surgical procedure in which one or more incisions are made through a mother's abdomen and uterus to deliver one or more babies, or, rarely, to remove a dead fetus...
, involved 46 medical personnel, and was practiced twice beforehand at the Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente is an integrated managed care consortium, based in Oakland, California, United States, founded in 1945 by industrialist Henry J. Kaiser and physician Sidney Garfield...
hospital in . Doctors anticipated seven babies, so the eighth came as a surprise. Born over the course of five minutes, all eight babies were immediately reported in stable condition, though two required intubation
Intubation
Tracheal intubation, usually simply referred to as intubation, is the placement of a flexible plastic or rubber tube into the trachea to maintain an open airway or to serve as a conduit through which to administer certain drugs...
and a ventilator
Medical ventilator
A medical ventilator can be defined as any machine designed to mechanically move breatheable air into and out of the lungs, to provide the mechanism of breathing for a patient who is physically unable to breathe, or breathing insufficiently....
, and another required extra oxygen.
It has been documented in many places that Nadya Suleman had at least eight embryos implanted (since none of them are identical), and also that she had 'fresh' embryos implanted, rather than the frozen ones which she claimed at the time. Her ex-publicist has stated in interviews that she had 12 embryos transferred and she told him personally of the great lengths she went to conceal the fact. None of the octuplets are identical (monozygotic) twins and she still has many embryos frozen in storage. All of her 14 children have been born as a result of fresh embryo transfer.
Post delivery
Two days after birth, five of the eight infants received their first tube-feeding of donated breast milkHuman Milk Banking In North America
A human milk bank is "a service which collects, screens, processes, and dispenses by prescription human milk donated by nursing mothers who are not biologically related to the recipient infant". There are currently eleven milk banks in North America. They are usually housed in hospitals, although...
. 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.
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.
One week after birth, the Suleman octuplets became the longest-living octuplets in United States history, as the smallest of the Chukwu octuplets
Chukwu octuplets
The Chukwu octuplets were the first set of octuplets live-born in the United States.-Family history:The six girls and two boys were born in December 1998 at St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital in Houston, Texas. Their parents — mother, Nkem Chukwu, then 27, and father, Iyke Louis Udobi, then 41 — were...
born in Houston in 1998 died seven days after birth.
Ten days after the birth of her octuplets, Suleman was released from the hospital. In her February 5, 2009 interview, Suleman stated that she holds each of the octuplets for 45 minutes a day, holding the smallest, a son named Jonah (born at 1 lb., 8 oz.) the longest.
The hospital where the octuplets were expected to spend seven to twelve weeks requested significant reimbursement from Medi-Cal
Medi-Cal
The California Medical Assistance Program is the name of the California Medicaid program serving low-income families, seniors, persons with disabilities, children in foster care, pregnant women, and certain low-income adults...
, the state's Medicaid
Medicaid
Medicaid is the United States health program for certain people and families with low incomes and resources. It is a means-tested program that is jointly funded by the state and federal governments, and is managed by the states. People served by Medicaid are U.S. citizens or legal permanent...
program, for care of the eight premature babies.
Mother
Nadya Suleman was born in Fullerton, CaliforniaFullerton, California
Fullerton is a city located in northern Orange County, California. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 135,161.It was founded in 1887 by George and Edward Amerige and named for George H. Fullerton, who secured the land on behalf of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway...
and was raised in La Puente
La Puente, California
La Puente is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 39,816 at the 2010 census.* City flower: The Golden Hibiscus* City colors: Green and White.-History:...
, Hacienda Heights
Hacienda Heights, California
Hacienda Heights is an unincorporated census-designated place in and below the Puente Hills of the San Gabriel Valley, in Los Angeles County, California, United States...
and Rowland Heights
Rowland Heights, California
Rowland Heights is an unincorporated community of , located in and below the Puente Hills in the San Gabriel Valley, in Los Angeles County, California. The population of the census-designated place was 48,993 at the 2010 census, up from 48,553 at the 2000 census...
, all cities in the San Gabriel Valley
San Gabriel Valley
The San Gabriel Valley is one of the principal valleys of Southern California, United States. It lies to the east of Los Angeles, to the north of the Puente Hills, to the south of the San Gabriel Mountains, and west of the Inland Empire. It derives its name from the San Gabriel River that flows...
of Los Angeles County
Los Angeles County, California
Los Angeles County is a county in the U.S. state of California. As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 9,818,605, making it the most populous county in the United States. Los Angeles County alone is more populous than 42 individual U.S. states...
. She is the only child of Edward and Angela Doud, who married in Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
in 1974, and divorced in 1999.
Biological father
Suleman's mother stated that a single sperm donor named David Solomon was used to produce the octuplets as well as her daughter's previous six children. Nadya stated that she dated David once, but realized after that she only wanted him to father her children and not pursue any relationship with him. Other sources claim that Nadya made up the name David Solomon in order not to identify the actual sperm donor.On the February 23, 2009 edition of ABC's Good Morning America
Good Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
, a man named Denis Beaudoin claimed to be the biological father of Suleman's children. He stated they dated from 1997 to 1999 and Suleman asked him if he would donate the sperm. Beaudoin is requesting a paternity test be performed to verify his claim. Suleman has since denied that he was the donor.
Siblings
The octuplets have six older siblings approximately aged to named Elijah Makai, Amerah Yasmeen, Joshua Jacob "JJ", Aiden and twins Caleb Kai and Calyssa Arielle Solomon who were also conceived via IVF allegedly with the same sperm donor according to statements made by mother Nadya Suleman.Grandparents
The octuplets' maternal grandfather, 67-year-old Edward Doud Suleman, identifying himself as a former IraqIraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
i military man, said he would be returning to his native Iraq as a translator and driver
Chauffeur
A chauffeur is a person employed to drive a passenger motor vehicle, especially a luxury vehicle such as a large sedan or limousine.Originally such drivers were always personal servants of the vehicle owner, but now in many cases specialist chauffeur service companies, or individual drivers provide...
, in order to financially support his daughter and her fourteen children. Their grandmother, 69-year-old Angela Victoria Suleman, a retired teacher, has helped to look after the first six children. She has indicated that she is overwhelmed looking after them, and has been critical of her daughter in her recent public statements. For example, she has stated that her daughter does not contribute toward housing or food costs.
Media attention
News of the octuplets caused an international media sensation. Most public response has been negative, including some death threats, which police are investigating.There has been much public discussion about Nadya Suleman's decision to implant and give birth to octuplets, including a minor protest outside the Suleman home, though Nadya Suleman was living elsewhere. Many expressed concern that Suleman's decision for more children, despite being unemployed and unmarried, would burden taxpayers via public support.
The implantation 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. The Medical Board of California
Medical Board of California
The Medical Board of California is a state government agency which licenses and disciplines physicians, surgeons and certain allied healthcare professions in California...
announced on February 6, 2009, that it was investigating Dr. Michael 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. The doctor also provided fertility treatment to a 49-year-old woman who is uninsured, 5 months pregnant with quadruplets, and hospitalized at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center
Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center
Los Angeles County+USC Medical Center, also known as County/USC, by the abbreviation LAC+USC, or by the name Los Angeles County General, is a 600-bed public teaching hospital located in the Boyle Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles, California...
. At least seven embryos were used. In October, 2009 the American Society for Reproductive Medicine announced that it had expelled Dr. Michael Kamrava. In January, 2010, charges were filed with the California Medical Board in direct relation to the conception of the octuplets. The complaint also stated that he exercised gross negligence and acted "beyond the reasonable judgment" of any physician and used a number of embryos that "far exceeded" existing guidelines. The Board announced on June 1, 2011 that Dr. Kamrava's license would be revoked in July.
See also
- Chukwu octupletsChukwu octupletsThe Chukwu octuplets were the first set of octuplets live-born in the United States.-Family history:The six girls and two boys were born in December 1998 at St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital in Houston, Texas. Their parents — mother, Nkem Chukwu, then 27, and father, Iyke Louis Udobi, then 41 — were...
, born in 1998 in Texas - McCaughey septupletsMcCaughey septupletsThe McCaughey septuplets are a set of septuplets born to Kenny and Bobbi McCaughey in Des Moines, Iowa, United States.-Biography:...
, the first set of septuplets to survive infancy - Dionne quintupletsDionne quintupletsThe Dionne quintuplets are the first quintuplets known to survive their infancy. The sisters were born just outside Callander, Ontario, Canada near the village of Corbeil.The Dionne girls were born two months premature...
, the only female identical quintuplets ever recorded - List of multiple births
- NatalismNatalismNatalism is a belief that promotes human reproduction. The term is taken from the Latin adjective form for "birth", natalis. Natalism promotes child-bearing and glorifies parenthood...