Why Fertility Drugs Cause Multiple Births!
Why Multiple Births are Dangerous!
What Should Be Done About It!
Are There Any Other Options?
Bibliography
There are two different reasons for this. First, it is dangerous for the mother and the children before the children are born and in infant the care right after the children are born. The uterus in not equipped to hold several fetuses. The uterus is set up to hold on fetus. It is forgiving in that it can healthfully hold up to three. However, multiple births even at two or three cause prenatal complications. It causes the mother to get hypertension, anemia, and labor complications (Cowely and Springen, 66). This stress on the mother's body puts the children in danger. It causes the babies to be delivered Caesarian style because of the cramped environment and often to be born prematurely. Most premature babies are born at an insufficient weight and underdeveloped. In fact, for each additional fetus, the gestation period is shortened by three and a half weeks (Cowely and Springen, 66). Again, the children can compensate for a 4 weeks or even seven, but anything more than that can lead to dangerously low birth weights. (Cowely and Springen, 66) If the gestation period is less than 28 weeks, then there is a strong risk of mental retardation, deafness, or cerebral palsy (Annas, 103).
The doctors do everything in their power to ensure that the baby survives. Even if the baby if deformed, the doctor puts forth his best effort. Although these measures usually are successful, that is not always the best thing. Many babies wind up severally handicapped. Sometimes, especially when there are more than three fetuses, the one or more children are not born alive. Or if they are, they may die within the year. In fact, quintuplets and quadruplets have a death rate twelve times that of a singe baby within the first year (Cowely and Springen, 66).
There is another problem that is possibly more important. What about raising the children? The McCaughey family got tons of gifts from the public. They got a life-time supply of Gerber, seven years of cable TV from TCI of Central Iowa, scholarships to Hannibal-LaGrange College in Missouri, ten years of photos from Sears Portrait Studio, new car from Chevrolet, a camcorder from Sony Electronics, sixteen years of apple juice and applesauce from Motts, cribs, changing tables, car seats and strollers from Toys R Us, kitchen with two of every appliance from Maytag, lifetimes supply of diapers from Pampers, and a new home among other gifts (Lemonick, 37). Although this looks great and like their life is set for free, it is actually quite the opposite. I learned from, Jansa Jovanivich, my Human Development and Family Studies professor last year, that it costs roughly a million dollars for each child that is born (n.pg.). That would mean eight million dollars for the McCaughey family. That is just for the children.
Financial reasons are not the only reason, and maybe mot even the most important. It is very difficult to raise a child. It is a hassle to feed, clothe, calm, and bathe a child not to mention putting them to sleep. Usually, a parent is thoroughly exhausted by eight o'clock. According to Jerry Adler, "A mother's most consoling thought is 'She has got to fall asleep sometime doesn't she?'" (103) Toddlers usually sleep about 12 hours a night, with a three-hour nap. But as he points out, these babies can stay awake all night in shifts and sleep at all different times. Diapers are used up at a rate of 6 per baby, per day and someone has to change them (Adler, 64). Plus, even the gifts run out. Donations stop and money gets sparse. Nannies cannot handle all the children alone, and they also cost money.
Most importantly, what about the attention given to each child. It is impossible for a mother to breast-feed all her children, which is the healthiest method of feeding. Plus, a mother admits that a parent cannot always be fair. For example, as Tony Prichett tells Adler, "You love them all the samebut whoever is fussing the loudest gets picked up." (103) That could be the main problem. Having children in litters can lead to neglected children. Especially if there is a single child born before or after the multiple
births. That child can be neglected or even forgotten. It is impossible to give all the children the same love and attention at all the same time. That can lead to jealously, especially for the better-behaved children.
The loud minority gets heard. Also, the first born usually acts as the leader. That can lead to an affection war with other siblings (Adler, 65). Also another wrench in the mixture, all the babies go through different stages of development at different times. This again leads to favoritism. The media circus can also be distracting. It is like a real life Truman Show for the first years of the children's lives.
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