Doctor accused of negligence in IVF case
Source: Agencies |
October 21, 2010, Thursday
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A LAWYER for Nadya Suleman's fertility doctor said on Tuesday that the doctor consulted the octuplets' mother about the dangers of bearing multiple babies, and he didn't refute allegations that she was implanted with 12 embryos, far in excess of national guidelines in the United States.
Dr Michael Kamrava's lawyer Henry Fenton said at the doctor's licensing hearing in Los Angeles that Suleman's medical records show she was consulted about the dangers on several occasions.
Kamrava's hard-to-understand records often came up during the cross-examination of the state's fertility expert in the case, Dr Victor Fujimoto, who heads the fertility program at the University of California San Francisco.
Kamrava used uncommon abbreviations and his "scribbles" made it unclear what consultations transpired before Suleman had octuplets in 2009, Fujimoto said.
"I do not recall any documentation in the record referring to her children and the risks to her children," Fujimoto said, adding that mentions of the risks of multiple gestation and fetal reduction were limited to a few lines.
Fenton didn't refute allegations made on Monday that Kamrava had implanted Suleman with 12 embryos, resulting in octuplets.
Kamrava "knew that a 12-embryo transfer was unsafe," said Deputy Attorney General Judith Alvarado, representing the medical board in its effort to revoke or suspend Kamrava's medical license.
There are health risks associated with crowding in a mother's uterus that could endanger the mother and result in premature birth or other ailments for the babies.
In a span of less than eight years, Suleman underwent repeated in vitro fertilization treatments resulting in 14 children, including her octuplets born in 2009. In all, Suleman was implanted with 60 fresh embryos, °?Alvarado said.
The medical board has also alleged Kamrava was negligent in failing to refer Suleman for a mental health evaluation prior to the continued treatments.
Fenton argued on Tuesday that there is no mandate or guidelines from the American Society for Reproductive Medicine for doctors to refer fertility patients to mental health consultations.
Fujimoto agreed that there isn't a rule, but a doctor's judgment requires them to ask questions when there are "red flags along the?way."
One of those red flags was how unusual it is for a single woman to repeatedly attempt in vitro after successfully having two children, Fujimoto said.
Kamrava's lawyer said that Suleman had a partner early on, but Fujimoto said there was no documentation of him existing or visiting Kamrava's office with her.
The sperm donor listed in her records is anonymous, which is unusual when a consenting couple seeks in vitro, he added.
"It's one thing to use somebody's sperm," Fujimoto said. "But when you say 'partner' that to me means someone that is going to actively take part in raising those children."
Dr Michael Kamrava's lawyer Henry Fenton said at the doctor's licensing hearing in Los Angeles that Suleman's medical records show she was consulted about the dangers on several occasions.
Kamrava's hard-to-understand records often came up during the cross-examination of the state's fertility expert in the case, Dr Victor Fujimoto, who heads the fertility program at the University of California San Francisco.
Kamrava used uncommon abbreviations and his "scribbles" made it unclear what consultations transpired before Suleman had octuplets in 2009, Fujimoto said.
"I do not recall any documentation in the record referring to her children and the risks to her children," Fujimoto said, adding that mentions of the risks of multiple gestation and fetal reduction were limited to a few lines.
Fenton didn't refute allegations made on Monday that Kamrava had implanted Suleman with 12 embryos, resulting in octuplets.
Kamrava "knew that a 12-embryo transfer was unsafe," said Deputy Attorney General Judith Alvarado, representing the medical board in its effort to revoke or suspend Kamrava's medical license.
There are health risks associated with crowding in a mother's uterus that could endanger the mother and result in premature birth or other ailments for the babies.
In a span of less than eight years, Suleman underwent repeated in vitro fertilization treatments resulting in 14 children, including her octuplets born in 2009. In all, Suleman was implanted with 60 fresh embryos, °?Alvarado said.
The medical board has also alleged Kamrava was negligent in failing to refer Suleman for a mental health evaluation prior to the continued treatments.
Fenton argued on Tuesday that there is no mandate or guidelines from the American Society for Reproductive Medicine for doctors to refer fertility patients to mental health consultations.
Fujimoto agreed that there isn't a rule, but a doctor's judgment requires them to ask questions when there are "red flags along the?way."
One of those red flags was how unusual it is for a single woman to repeatedly attempt in vitro after successfully having two children, Fujimoto said.
Kamrava's lawyer said that Suleman had a partner early on, but Fujimoto said there was no documentation of him existing or visiting Kamrava's office with her.
The sperm donor listed in her records is anonymous, which is unusual when a consenting couple seeks in vitro, he added.
"It's one thing to use somebody's sperm," Fujimoto said. "But when you say 'partner' that to me means someone that is going to actively take part in raising those children."
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