Calif. Woman Gives Birth To Rare Octuplets

(CBS/AP)  A woman gave birth to eight babies in Southern California on Monday, the world's second live-born set of octuplets.

The mother, who was not identified, gave birth to six boys and two girls weighing between 1.8 pounds and 3.4 pounds, doctors at Kaiser Permanante hospital told The Associated Press.

"It's a surprise," Dr. Karen Maples said. "Eight newborns are in stable condition and they're doing quite well."

Kaiser spokeswoman Myra Suarez said she could not release any information about the mother, including her condition or whether she used fertility drugs. Such drugs make multiple births more likely.

"They are all doing the best they can," Suarez told the AP.

The first baby was born at 10:43 a.m.; the eighth one at 10:48 a.m.

On The Early Show Tuesday, three of the physicians involved in the delivery explained how 46 team members in all combined to bring eight babies into the world in five minutes:

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"They were all screaming and kicking around very vigorously," Dr. Harold Henry told CBS station KCAL-TV in Los Angeles.

The first live-born octuplets were born in Houston in 1998, and one baby died about a week later. The surviving siblings - girls Ebuka, Gorom, Chidi, Chima and Echerem, and their brothers Ikem and Jioke - celebrated their 10th birthday in December.

Their Nigerian-born parents, Nkem Chukwu and Iyke Louis Udobi, said they are astonished and grateful that their children have grown up to be healthy and active kids who are now in the fourth grade.

Chukwu said the new parents have much to look forward to.

"Just enjoy it. It's a blessing, truly a blessing," Chukwu said. "We'll keep praying for them."

The Bellflower medical center is about 17 miles southeast of Los Angeles.

[baw1013]

Who paid for this procedure for this woman at $10,000.00 a pop, if she is on public assistance???? Hello . ALL of these children need to be taken away from her & she needs to get out & get a job to pay back the state for all she has swindled them out of! Any thing else would be a feloney under the circumstances.

[klkenner]

I understand that today''s financial circumstances are not the best, and having that many children would be really hard. However, who are we to judge this gal. I think it was horrible that the media is digging into her personal life. So what if she has other children? So what if she lives in a small home? That is her business!! Insteading of judging, it sure would be nice if The Early Show would do a good will story of nominating her and her family for "Extreme Home Makeover" or donate something to her. That is the kind of story that the public wants to here in this day and age, not judgmental stories.

[plainjean]

We already have more 6 BILLION PEOPLE on this planet! AMERICA''S FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS ARE INSOLVENT. WHAT ARE WE HUMANS ATTEMPTING TO DO: BREAK NATURE''S BOUNTY, WREAK THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT, AND FORCE THE GRIM REAPER TO CONTROL OUR POPULATION FOR US??? Where do we draw the line: 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 billion people on this planet!!! AN EASTER ISLAND SCENARIO LOOMS ON THE HORIZON FOR THE ENTIRE HUMAN RACE, MARK MY WORDS!!!

[plainjean]

Talk about IRRESPONSIBLE! Certainly we are delighted there were no complications in this MAN-MADE FERTILITY DRUG INDUCED MIRACLE! But 14, count them, 14 natural born biological children! I cannot believe this woman''s personal physician placed his patient at risk! Here is my proposal: Emergency rooms and delivery rooms should be generous and kind, opening their doors to deliver babies into this world. But their parents, both father and mother should be forced to pay every red cent of the delivery fee! JUST LIKE CHILD SUPPORT!!!!

[knepg]

Some of you should be ashamed of yourselves! Some people, men and women want nothing more thatn to have children. Look at Jon and Kate Gosslin. They had sextuplets, yes they were small at birth but they are all HEALTHY,ACTIVE,NORMAL children. No one should pass judgement on these parents until they have walked in their shoes. Being a mother has been the most wonderful thing in my life. I cannot image not having my kids, which are all adults now but always my kids.

[lovenothat1]

THE PEOPLE WHO ARE MAKING NEGATIVE COMMENTS ARE IGNORANT. THEY ARE IGNORANT BECAUSE THEY DO NOT HAVE ANY FACTS. This woman did not have in vitro fertilization. No embryos were implanted. No fertility doctor would implant a large number of embryos. Most women who seek fertility treatments do not get pregnant. When treatments are successful, a single birth is the norm. High number multiples are extremely rare. Why do you think they make the news??? No one wants to carry, deliver and care for high number multiples. They want one child. The only options when this unplanned and rare event happens are to abort or do everything possible to make a loving home for these children. These families need all the help they can get!!! Fortunately there are kind, generous people in this world who offer help. Too bad there are also people who are ignorant and full of hatred.

[my5kids4]

These babies are already here in this world, i think it is a little to late to say what this women should have done. I think every one should pray for her and her babies that they will be healthy children.

[my5kids4]

These babies are already here in this world, i think it is a little to late to say what this women should have done. I think every one should pray for her and her babies that they will be healthy children.

[LinuxRules]

I believe anyone the does the test-tube birth and have more than two babies are very very selfish. The couples by themselves would not be able to support 6 or more and must rely on the community to ''give'' them everything they need for free- car, house, diapers, food, and etc. If you had one babies why does society not give you a house, car, diapers, and food for free?

Any infertility clinic should be fined a million dollars for causing pregnancies with more that two babies. They are causing extreme risk to mother, child and society. They all should be ashamed of themselves not patting their own back on what an achievement they cause. Shame on them!

[cattlekate]

Wonder how many will have cerebal palsy and lung problems. Artificial fertility should be banned. Women were not designed to have litters.