Sunday, May 20, 2012

This Day in History May 21, 1985

I will admit that this is a story I do not remember, but I guess I wasn't really following the news back then.
Patti Frustaci gave birth to septuplets on this date in 1985.  There was a lot that went into this story.  They had one child, and they decided they wanted more.  So they sought the help of a fertility clinic.  She was put on the drug Pergonal.  The babies were born 12 week premature--4 boys and 3 girls.  They were born via Cesarean section.  The smallest, a girl, was born stillborn.  And sadly, three more died within the next few weeks from hyaline membrane disease, a condition where the lungs collapse after taking a breath.

If you are keeping count, only three remained of the original seven.  At the age of two, it was discovered these remaining children had cerebral palsy.  And but a year later, it was discovered they were also mentally retarded.

What would any parents do in this situation?  Sue, of course.  They won $2.7 million in a settlement.  Honestly, I am not meaning to make light of things, but read on and you might discover why I think this lawsuit is a little disconcerting.

In 1990, she gave birth to twins after using the same drug she had before.  This is where I don't understand things too well.  I can understand a lawsuit, but why go back to the same drug?  For that matter, why use fertility drugs at all?  There are other ways to have children.  Adoption, surrogate mother (no thanks!), in vitro fertilization, and I am sure there is more. Personally, I do not think drugs and pregnancy mix, but maybe that is just the way I feel.  I have heard too many horror stories about fertility drugs.  But of course, that is just my opinion.  What do I know?  I never took birth control, and my husband was infertile, and my daughter still was born.

For more information, please check out:
http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20090935,00.html
http://www.incrediblebirths.com/Septuplets/Frustaci_Septuplets_1985.html
http://www.nytimes.com/1985/05/22/us/six-babies-born-to-californian-7th-is-stillborn.html?pagewanted=2
http://articles.latimes.com/1985-06-01/news/mn-5363_1_babies
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/596188/Spotlight-was-an-ordeal-for-California-parents.html
http://www.nytimes.com/1985/06/13/us/septuplets-evoke-questions-on-drug.html

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