• View ecochildsplay’s profile on Facebook
  • View ecochildsplay’s profile on Twitter
  • View ecochildsplay’s profile on Instagram
  • View ecochildsplay’s profile on Pinterest
  • View Jennifer Lance’s profile on LinkedIn
  • View ecochildsplay’s profile on YouTube
  • View ecochildsplay’s profile on Google+

Eco Child's Play

Live a greener, healthier life!

  • Environment
  • Pregnancy
  • Food & Recipes
  • Health News
  • Parenting
  • Green Toys
  • Beauty & Beauty Products
  • Green Home & Cleaning
  • Contact

Nadya Suleman's Birth of Octuplets Highlights Lack of Fertility Clinic Regulation

The news about octuplet mom Nadya Suleman raises serious concerns about medical ethics, profit motive, regulation, and oversight in the fertility industry. According to the CDC, 80 percent of U.S. fertility clinics don’t follow the embryo implant guidelines established in 1999 by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, and it turns out that the entire industry is self regulated.

[social_buttons]

“Assisted reproduction is a multibillion-dollar business. Like other commercial enterprises, it needs rules.” – Marcy Darnovsky, of the Center for Genetics and Society in Oakland.

Fertility clinics are now advertising the availability to screen for gender, eye color, hair color and complexion through the use of pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD). The current use of PGD for gender selection is prohibited in over 35 countries, but evidently the money flowing into fertility clinics keeps the practice in demand in the US.

“The industry sees this not just as inevitable, but incredibly lucrative.” – Art Caplan, director of the Center for Bioethics, University of Pennsylvania

California State Senator Gloria Negrete McLeod is seeking more oversight with her bill SB 674, a measure that establishes accreditation standards and guidelines for the operation of fertility clinics and cosmetic surgery centers.

“It is alarming that the State of California has no one watching out for patients who go to these fertility clinics or surgical centers.  There should be a greater level of scrutiny over these clinics because of their increasing popularity.” – McLeod

The bill puts fertility clinics under the jurisdiction of the Medical Board of California and their approved accrediting agencies.

“Patients have the right to know if their physician has even been trained or board certified in the specialty he or she is attempting to perform.” – McLeod

I find it unbelievable that these clinics are not regulated at all right now. How is it possible that this has become such a big business without any sort of regulation other than ‘voluntary’ guidelines?

Image: cesarastudillo at Flickr under CC license

  • Twitter
  • Email
  • Pinterest
  • Print
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • More
  • WhatsApp
  • Tumblr
  • Reddit
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Subscribe!

« Too Much TV: Television and Asthma Risk
Ohio Woman Ticketed for Breastfeeding While Driving »

Comments

  1. Anonymous says

    March 3, 2009 at 9:50 pm

    I don’t believe fertility clinics need to be regulated. What ever happened to a woman’s freedom of choice to do with her body what she wants? Doesn’t it go both ways – both when she decides to have a baby (or babies) and when she doesn’t?

    Suleman *chose* to have 8 embryos implanted. She knew the implications of the choice. She chose to continue the pregnancy once she knew how many she was having. We don’t have to agree with her choice but we certainly have no right to regulate it.

    Reply
  2. richard says

    March 4, 2009 at 3:57 am

    when we are put into the position of paying for her choices . then yes we do have a right to limit how much tax payer money goes to support a slug like this .

    Reply
  3. mindy says

    March 4, 2009 at 6:45 am

    ANONYMOUS, YES I AGREE A WOMAN HAS THE RIGHT TO DO WITH HER BODY AS SHE PLEASES. BUT WHEN DOCTORS IMPLANT WOMEN LIKE NADYA, WHO DOES NOT HAVE A JOB AND LIVES OFF THE SYSTEM. WHEN SHE HAD THOSE 8 BABIES DID YOU THINK THE WOMAN WAS GOING PAY TO TAKE CARE OF THEM HERSELF..NO ITS GOING BE YOU AND I AND OTHER HARD WORKING AMERICANS ARE GOING PAY FOR HER FOOD STAMPS AND WELFARE..YES THESE DOCTORS NEED TO SCREEN BEFORE IMPLANTING BABIES INTO JUST ANY WOMAN. WOMEN CAN GET PREGNANT ON THEIR OWN AND THATS THEIR CHOICE BUT WHEN WE HELP WOMEN LIKE NADYA TO GET PREGNANT, THEN THE WALFARE OF THOSE BABIES IS IN OUR HANDS..PEOPLE LIKE NADYA SHOULD BE TOLD NO..SHOULD BE TOLD TAKE CARE OF THE ONES YOU HAVE AND GET A JOB…

    Reply
  4. Crimson Wife says

    March 4, 2009 at 1:45 pm

    Well, we DON’T have unlimited freedom over what we do with our bodies in the U.S. I can’t legally smoke a joint even if I wanted to do so for medical reasons in most jurisdictions. A man cannot legally force himself sexually upon an unwilling partner, even if he is married to her (darn good thing too, I might add).

    I personally believe that the law should only allow the creation of no more than 3 embryos at a time (the excess eggs can be frozen for later attempts) and only as many as will be implanted in that specific cycle. And if 3 are implanted, the mom would have to promise not to have a selective abortion in the event of triplets. If she’s not willing to carry 3 babies to term, then she needs to be implanted with only 1 or 2.

    Reply
  5. rgh says

    March 8, 2009 at 11:51 pm

    It’s a uterus, not a clown car. It’s not just an issue of wealth, it’s an issue of health. Unscrupulous practices such as this place people at greater risk for a number of health problems, not just during a pregnancy, but afterward, as well.

    Reply
  6. Watcher says

    March 31, 2009 at 6:55 pm

    There are too many people on this earth. Ruining it at a faster rate than borer beetle eats a wooden house.
    How stupid do you have to be to have even ONE child under these environmentally stressed conditions?

    Well, multiply that by 14x. NS is therefore 14 times stupider than the average non-breeder and 14 times less considerate than the average non-breeder is – of this beautiful world we are exploiting at an enormous rate of knots…

    Humans are the worst, most destructive plague the earth has ever encountered – and they KEEP BREEDING. Duh!

    And they call themselves intelligent. It is too funny to even laugh.

    Reply
  7. Millie says

    April 1, 2009 at 9:05 am

    Watcher, are you not human? How did you get here? You are pathetic! Babies are a gift from God, but when they are implanted, we are playing God. Nadya Suleman was on welfare, she should not have done this at all, especially having 6 children already! Though she did what she had planned, she has exploited those children to no end, now she has made millions, thanks to having octuplets! Of course she isn’t going to apologize for having 8 children at one time, they are here claim to fame!

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. The 66-Year-Old First Time Mom : Eco Child’s Play says:
    May 22, 2009 at 4:27 am

    […] 66-year-old UK woman has undergone IVF treatment in the Ukraine and is 8 months pregnant with what is thought to be her first […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Search Content

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter


About Eco Child’s Play

Our ethos is to provide news, information, and opinions on natural, green parenting to help your family live a greener, healthier life! Additionally, we offer personal consulting services to help you achieve your green living goals.

Jennifer is a vegetarian, yoga teacher, gardener, hiker, teacher, and mother that has been living off-the-grid for over 20 years.

Contact Eco Child’s Play

Eco-Friendly Decorating: How Removable Wallpaper Can Reduce Waste

Plants Over Plastics! Repurpose Compostable Home Products

More from the archives!

Easy Going Green Flashcards Teach Parents and Children

Hank D and the Bee: BUZZ!

Tell the USDA not to approve new GMO, 2,4-D-resistant crops and stop the tide of toxins being dumped on our food.

Kids Upset Tummy and Nausea Relief from Mommys Bliss

The Gender Divide in Toys has Grown

Convenient Plastic Container Free Dropps Laundry & Dishwashing Pods

cbd salve joy organics

CBD Products that Actually Deliver: Joy Organics

Information

  • About & Contact
  • Archive
  • Blog
  • Consulting Services
  • Disclaimer, Disclosure, & Sponsored Posts
  • Privacy Policy

Hank D and the Bee: Noise pollution

bubble gum environmental problems

Environmental and Health Problems of Chewing Bubble Gum

Big Brother Software: Monitor Kids' Calls and Text Messages

Get Up, Stand Up: Stand Up for Your Birth

5 Green Products: Blue Manatee Boxes, Bebe au Lait, Yummi Bears Organics, Bella & Harry, B. Onesie

Popular Categories

  • Breastfeeding
  • Health News
  • Natural Childbirth
  • Parenting
  • Education
  • Product Review
  • Green Toys

Get our posts via email

Please stay in touch!

You might also like to read…

Kid Guides Aquariums Now On DVD: Get One Free

Green Family Values: Is Breastfeeding Better For the Environment?

Eco-Libris – Green book of the week: 'I Can Save the Earth' (and a great giveaway!)

Back To School: Stock Up With Sustainable Clothing Choices

Homeschool and Elementary Spring Art Lesson: Watercolor and Black Glue Symmetry Butterflies

Copyright © 2023 · Divine theme by Restored 316

Copyright © 2023 · Divine Theme On Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.