THE FAMOUS 'OCTOMUM' SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO RAISE HER KIDS

A couple of months ago,the world woke up to the story of a woman in California who delivered a set of octopulets following the fertility treatment she received.The story was more captivating because the woman already had six other children before the birth of her newest babies.The birth of the octopulets turned their mother into a celebrity overnight as pressmen laid ambush for her at the clinic and later, her home, seeking to get juicy stories and interviews related to the birth of the infants.This interest in her situation also sparked off debates across the world as to the propriety or otherwise of the woman conceiving and delivering the children in contravention of medical advise.Many commentators have also advocated for the governmet of the state of California to take away the children from their mother in order to look after them.

The campaings to take away the children from their mother sounds attractive.This is because the ability of one woman to take care of fourteen children by herself seems very doubtful.Besides,some others argue that taking the children away from their mother would serve as a deterrent to other ladies in the future who may wish to ride on the back of such childbirths to stardom.

However,I believe the children should be left to their biological mother.To begin with, there is no legislation that makes it illegal for a woman to have any number of children she desires.Similarly,no legislation empowers the state of California or any other state in the United States for that matter,to seize babies born under such situations from their biological parents.Without any legislation authorizing that,such seizure would be an abuse of the woman's fundamental rights.

Furthermore,it would be reasonable to allow the children grow up under the tutelage of their biological mother.Nobody can treat the children the same way as the children's biological mother.Therefore,the welfare of the new babies ought to be considered first before any decision affecting them is taken.

It would be good for the government to assist in raising the children.Such assistance should not be given because the mother of the babies deserves it after risking her life and those of her babies just to make history.Rather, the assistance should be given because the babies are first and foremost innocent and also because they are citizens of the United States of America.