Octuplets...six embryos too many

As the parent of a child who was conceived through assisted reproduction (specifically artificial insemination), I was dismayed to hear about the birth of the California octuplets. Simply “Google” the word “octuplets” and you’ll find links to a barrage of articles that, at first, hailed the medical triumph of their birth, then gave way abruptly to breaking news that the mother already has six children and that she and her family had declared bankruptcy at some point. I also heard that the mother was seeking assistance from Oprah and Diane Sawyer “to help pay the cost of raising the children.”

Now, I’m not going to slander this woman in my post. She made the choice to carry all eight implanted embryos to term. She made the choice to add eight mouths to her table (making a total of 15 mouths, including her own).  We’re captivated by the drama that’s enfolding from her choices and there’s a media storm of reporters just waiting to see what other delicious morsels of “news” they can piece together from examining her otherwise banal existence.

My question is: where were the doctor’s ethics? Does he/she have any? Maybe they should have considered them when implanting eight embryos. Our own Reproductive Endocrinologist, Dr. Vicken Sahakian, was quoted by Reuters on the problems surrounding this case. He says, and I quote,

“There's a high likelihood they're going to have (long-term) medical and psychological handicaps.”

The American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) even has guidelines on how many embryos to transfer during a single procedure for women under 35. That number is two.

So I’ll ask again, doctor, where were your ethics? Come forth and let us hear your reason for implanting eight embryos in a woman under 35, who already has six children, has declared bankruptcy and who has no job!!!