So should there be a “law” against this?
Yes, there should be a law against implanting more than two embryos because of the serious risks that multiple births entail to the babies.
There shouldn’t be a law imposing a maximum maternal age for IVF patients, but medical ethics principles would seemingly prevent doctors from accepting 65-year old IVF patients.
That’s when you have grand babies - all the fun and little responsibility
In the United States the Ethics Committee of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine “recommends” an age limit of 55 for fertility treatments. So not an actual “law” but a recommendation. That is beyond what most posters here see as an appropriate age.
I am less concerned about the risk because I have read that the most significant risks to the fetuses are tied to the age of the eggs, not the age of the mother carrying them. These are not her eggs. My concerns would be with providing for the care of these children through at least the age of 18. Perhaps she has that covered, rightly or wrongly, through her other adult children.
I just don’t get it. I know someone who had a kid at 14 (yes, do the math - the father was 26 and made to marry her so no rape charges filed), and I would rather have a 65 year old have a kid (or kids) than her.
If the 65 year old is fit, why not? Do you say that if a 30 year old has a medical condition, she shouldn’t have a kid?
That might be so if this woman were carrying a single child. The mere fact that there are four of them puts this pregnancy at very high risk, both for babies and elderly mother.
This is in Germany, so it doesn’t really “affect” any of us. But this kind of thing would have to paid for by someone, and if this happened here, society would very likely be taking part in the enormous cost of these kinds of births. There are several ethical issues at play here; it’s not simply a matter of individual choice and impact.
rhandco, this woman had IVF. If she had gotten pregnant naturally that would be a different story and more like the opposite of your example of a 14 year old. I certainly hope that no doctor would use IVF on a 14 year old!
Nottelling. “There should be a law against having more than two embryos implanted”. Are you serious? I have triplets who were born all weighing around six pounds and we were all home in four days. There are many sets of triplets in my town and the surrounding towns.
And I know people who had twins or more who either lost one of their multiples or spent months in the NICU.
It is a fact that multiple births are more dangerous for both mom and baby. It is also a fact that the older the mom, the more dangerous it is (post-early 20s).
I am truly glad that your triplets were born healthy and came home quickly. However, that doesn’t negate the numerous studies showing that it is more dangerous. It is unnecessarily dangerous IMO to use IVF and try to have multiples.
3younguns, so happy to hear of your healthy triplets. There is no denying that our policy views are influenced by our own experiences, and mine are definitely influenced by triplets in my community with severe lasting problems resulting from the multiple pregnancy.
3younguns: I don’t know if you are comfortable answering this, and please don’t feel the least bit obligated, but were your triplets IVF babies?
One of my best friends who did IVF for a decade was told by her doctor, one of the very best in the field, that he refused to implant more than two embryos because that was the maximum number of babies he would recommend her carrying. He was not interested, nor was she, in selectively terminating a pregnancy. I have known women who did that. I don’t think it is a position anyone would choose to be in. I am so sorry if anyone reading had to make that decision.
That doesn’t mean there aren’t healthy triplets. I know several sets as well. I always wonder when we will have any statistics on multiple pregnancy outcomes between naturally occurring pregnancies vs. IVF pregnancies. I am especially interested if any differences exist with higher order multiples (triplets and more)
A woman carrying multiples is undergoing significant risk to herself as well as the embryos.
She last gave birth ten yrs ago, perhaps she’s romanticized it a tad.
I needed hormones to sustain my pregnancy which put the fetus at risk. This was when I was 24, I imagine the hormones needed to sustain a multiple pregnancy in an elderly woman, are stronger.
( I’m not impressed with her appearance, anyone can color their hair & get plastic surgery- that is superficial youth)
3younguns, that’s wonderful that your babies were healthy, and apparently term.
90% of triplets are pre-term.
http://www.marchofdimes.org/pregnancy/multiples-twins-triplets-and-beyond.aspx#
Alh. I am happy to answer any questions. No they were not IVF babies although I was on the fertility drug pergonal. My doctor also asked about reducing to two. (It makes me teary eyed to this day to think of doing that) He told me that there was also the probability of losing more than one if this was done. Although I was 36 I am also fairly tall and large boned so we decided not to. I did not have any problems carrying them to 36 weeks. They will be 21 years old in less than two months. They are all successful college juniors at UC Davis, Cal Poly and Boston College.
Who do you prefer- this one or our own Octomom?
In both cases, I blame the physicians not the mothers.
There were several pairs of twins in the NICU when my daughter was born.
The first dad my husband met in the NICU, was the parent of twin girls. His wife died soon after delivery.
Our daughter was in the NICU for 8 weeks, she was discharged before her due date.
The twins were discharged when they were six months old, one was still on oxygen, she died a couple months later.
Risks to babies from multiple births include prematurity,
Placental insufficiency, placental abruption,intrauterine growth restriction, fetal loss, surgical delivery.
Risks to mother include preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, placental abruption, surgical delivery.
I can’t imagine anyone taking the risk to carry so many to term.
Humans are designed for ONE baby at a time, generally with parents in their 20’s/30’s/40’s.
Didn’t she ever hear “* Don’t mess with Mother Nature!”* ?
Both of my twins are very healthy despite being premature. Both graduated college with honors. One is in medical school having scored in the top 1% on her MCAT exam. They are both strapping 6 footers with no health problems at all. So, don’t generalize about multiples.
Umm, one certainly can generalize about multiples when we are talking about risks! Of course each individual pregnancy is unique. But we are talking about multiple births and the statistics which are attached with that, so of course it is necessary to generalize.
It is fact that multiple births carry with them increased risks both to mothers and children. Even carrying twins increases those risks. But consider the risks associated with having QUADRUPLETS and pair that with a mother who is 65 years old. This is high high risk pregnancy.
I admit there are exceptions.
But exceptions are exceptions, because they are unusual.
Multiples is one potential risk factor. Advanced maternal age is another. Combining the 2, purposefully, can be a recipe for serious trouble.