California Probing Octuplets Case

(CBS)  Hospital officials say the octuplets born outside Los Angeles ten days ago continue to do well.

But, reports Early Show national correspondent Hattie Kauffman, the California Medical Board is investigating "to see if we can substantiate a violation of the standard of care" in their implantation in their mother's womb.

Nadya Suleman, 33, had eight embryos implanted, her mother has told CBS News. Suleman already had six children, aged two-to-seven, at the time.

Questions remain about how and where Suleman received the fertility treatments that led to the birth of the octuplets, Kauffman points out.

Fertility specialist Dr. Mark Surrey remarked to Kauffman, "It's not good medicine. It's really something that should be critiqued and condemned."

Suleman once worked as a psychiatric technician for a state hospital in Norwalk, Calif., Kauffman says. But she's been unemployed since 2001. Documents show she filed two workman's compensation claims, including one for a car accident. Her mother told CBS News that's how she paid for the fertility treatments. The question, though is -- how will she pay for raising the kids?

Parents magazine Editor in Chief Dana Points says it costs an average of $204,000 to raise one child in the U.S. from birth to age 18, according to the most recent statistics.

Two-hundred-thousand times eight is $1.6 million, Kauffman notes, and that doesn't even include the cost of raising Suleman's other six kids.

In the past, Kauffman says, families with multiple births have received generous donations from the public, such as a new home, a mini van and even a book deal.

Will Suleman get such help?

A publicist she hired, Michael Furtney, told Kauffman, "We've had a fair number of proposals, but I don't think I've seen anything involving a home as yet."

Court records show Suleman was once married, and officially divorced just a year ago, Kauffman says. The documents list the couple as having no children. And although she's now living in Whittier, Calif., with her parents, her family once abandoned a nearby home two years ago and filed for bankruptcy.

Despite all the challenges, Furtney says Suleman is joyful to be a new mom eight-times-over. "She appreciates that it will be a challenge," he says, "but she's totally committed to being the mom."

[pappylu]

I agree the woman has some mental health issues. What doctor in his/her right mind would allow for such a procedure? This may have been a suragate situation that went terribly wrong or more to the pont it''s a selfish heartless cry for attention and MONEY. However;to the idiot who sees this as a multicultural uprising designed replace all the intelligent white people...I think one of those octuplets has more intelligence at 3 weeks than you do as a grown pathetic piece of trash

[aprils64]

Well, I think Madya Suleman has some real problems including having children because she ''wants a connection". I really worry about that because that is a terrible, unhealthy reason for having babies plus how can anyone who obviously has problems "connecting" in her other relationships including her family and husband, expect to be a good parent.
However, we have been sending money to Iraq to build hospitals and give them free medical care so I think if my taxpayer dollars are supporting Iraq babies, it''s time they go to support some american babies.

[askwhy-2009]

Is it legal for her to live in that small house with all those kids? Are there no housing rules in calif?
Anyone who counseled this girl as well as the drs who performed the invitro should have their licenses taken away permanently but i think they were looking for life in the spotlight too! Everyone is looking to make a buck!

[akpals]

I will personally boycott and company who gives woman anything, and I will not watch an interview with her or buy any magazine with her in it. I think she should be forced to pay the medical bills with any money she recieves doing interviews or anything else. I support peoples right to have as many kids as they want, but not if they don''t have the money to raise them. What she has done is just like buying a mansion and sending the bill to the taxpayers. Total BS

[craigh9]

I''d like to see some sharp attorney take on the case of the existing 6 children. They have been severely impacted by this womens decision and their life style has been drastically reduced due to the sudden growth of the family by 8. Wouldn''t that be a kick in her butt if someone used the system against her and her irresponsibility???

[ptruth2]

The doctor who gave a depressed, unempolyed, single mother of 6, living in a small house with her parents, should be held responsible for the cost of raising the 8 children. It should be at the tax payor''s expense. BTW, what is wrong with her parents? Don''t they know what their daughter is up to? Isn''t 6 kids enough for anyone, let alone this ill woman with no resources? The parents must be sick just like her. A family of fools, who found a fool doctor to make them more miserable than they already are.

[airedale235]

I totally agree with the majority. I think she expected to be given all the tings that come with mutiple births. The diapers,formulas, medical assistance and on yeah, she wants that new van too. I think she wants a TV endorsement like Jon & Kate +8 except they are married and dad has a job. I''m equally tired of the government I pay taxes too to freely give my hard earned money away to support those who think I have nothing better to do with it. Where''s my help??? Oh yeah, I can''t get it because I make a $50/month too much. Which makes me above the poverty level. Send her home...........

[askwhy-2009]

She''s hired an agent????? How is she paying for this? She has a plan and it includes all the media hype $$ and welfare $$. Maybe the cover of People magazine? She''s going back to school? How is she paying for this? Does she get free college bacause she has 14 kids?
WHO will watch ALL these kids while she earns an education and how will she pay for child care? Her mom and dad? Dont they work or are we supporting them too? This girl has the Angelina Jolie syndrome but at least she and Brad can support their clan! Maybe they can donate their hand-me-downs to her!

[lyndar2]

No wonder California is broke!! They have the illegals and the lying, stealing legals. Average honest Joe worker is footing the bill....until he gets laid off and can''t afford his own kids.
That doctor should face heavy fines along w/losing his license. State should take the children away since they are the ones paying for them. Woman is not mentally or financially capable of raising 14 children and there are people just waiting to adopt
who can afford it without sucking the government dry.

[wheatfield2]

quote: Though public records show that Nadya Suleman was on the payroll at Metropolitan State Hospital until last year, it appears that she did little work (if any) after September 1999 due to a workman''''s compensation injury (back injury and psychiatric condition) in which she''''s received up to $165,000 in compensation. She filed an additional claim for worker%u2019s compensation for a separate car accident in which she argued that this car accident wouldn%u2019t have occurred had she not been going for medical treatment for the earlier worker%u2019s comp. injury.



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Posted by lucca2004 at 12:34 AM : Feb 06, 2009


WOW!!! Thanks for posting this!!! Suing because she was on her way to appointment and car accident occurred!! Now this beats all!! She''s pretty smart, allright. She knew EXACTLY how to milk the American system all along. Her father is not a citizen. So why don''t they go back to Iraq? Is no one investigating the chain of events leading up to this?