Baby Talk

The “miracle birth” of octuplets has officially gone sour. Nadya Suleman’s eight babies were regarded with awe when the births were first announced, but the story of her private life has turned the public against her. The public was horrified to learn that this woman already had six children (including one autistic son) thanks to fertilization. They were further appalled to learn that Nadya reportedly worked at a fertilization clinic and chose to risk the health of her babies by refusing selective reduction. The legal and ethic ramifications for the doctors involved are staggering and what must the reluctant sperm donor, identified as David Solomon, be thinking? The premature babies are expected to rack up two million dollars in hospital bills before they are released, and millions later to treat expected health problems and possible handicaps. Since Nadia, 33, is a professional student, she lives with her parents – that’s three adults and 14 children in a three bedroom house. So Nadya is trying to drum up money by selling her story – so far Oprah and Diane Sawyer are eager to interview her. Will diaper companies donate the thousand diapers a month needed for these babies? Americans seem to have turned on this woman and assume she’s out of her mind. But we do have a twisted fascination for the details, so she probably will make a lot of money with those babies.