Octuplet doctor accused of gross negligence

There's an interesting article in the LA Times about the latest on the fertility doctor involved in the case of the American octuplets. He's been accused of gross negligence by the Medical Board of California.

It seems that in this particular case he continued to keep treating his patient, using high doses of fertility drugs, sometimes just three or four months after she'd given birth to one of her six children. She was stockpiling embryos as she kept having fresh treatment cycles, but he allowed her to carry on, and replaced more embryos than considered acceptable for a woman of any age, let alone one who'd already had a number of treatment cycles. There was never any assessment of her mental health. What's perhaps most saddening is his lawyer's defence of what occurred, saying that at all times the doctor concerned was only trying to comply with patient preferences.

I know that some people do consider our system here in the UK to be over-regulated, and the HFEA to be interfering, but if this is what happens when you don't regulate, it's pretty clear which system works best...

It couldn't happen here...

The story of the American octuplets left most of us who've had fertility treatment wondering why anyone would choose to have eight embryos transferred, and what kind of clinic would agree to such a move. Like me, you'd probably assumed the mother must be in her forties, and the eight embryos had been a last ditch attempt at fertility treatment after many unsuccessful cycles in the past. The fact that she was only 33, and had already had six children by IVF, must surely lead to questions about the lack of regulation of fertility treatment in the US.

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority often faces criticism from patients in the UK that it regulates too strictly and with an excessively paternalistic attitude, but it is thanks to our regulatory framework that high order multiple pregnancies after fertility treatment are largely a thing of the past in the UK. The case of Mandy Allwood, who lost all her eight babies more than ten years ago, led to many questions about multiple pregnancies and fertility treatment although she had not actually had IVF but had been taking fertility drugs (which does not fall under the HFEA's remit).

Transferring eight embryos is always going to be deeply questionable medical practice, but the clinician who decided to transfer eight embryos for a woman under the age of 35 who'd already had six successful IVF attempts has some difficult questions to answer. An octuplet pregnancy is dangerous for mother and babies and, as Mandy Allwood's experience shows, can so often end in tragedy.