Since we did a Room for Debate forum on the California woman who gave birth to octuplets on Jan. 27, we have learned that she is an unemployed single mother with six other children and that she lives with her parents.
The woman’s mother told The Associated Press that all 14 children were conceived through in vitro fertilization. Her daughter, who hired a public relations specialist, has agreed to give her first interview to NBC’s “Today” show. (NBC said it did not pay for the interview, though some media reports said she was seeking $2 million to tell her story.)
As these and other details have emerged, questions have been raised about both the responsibilities of fertility doctors and the psychological aspects of fertility treatment. We asked James A. Grifo, a fertility doctor, and Elizabeth Grill, a psychologist, to discuss these issues.
