Thaindian News

LOS ANGELES (BNO NEWS) – A Beverly Hills doctor, who is well known for his association to the aptly-named Octomom who - with his help - gave birth to octuplets, is facing discipline and possibly license revocation from the Medical Board of California for gross negligence after planting too many embryos inside a woman.

Dr. Michael Kamrava, 58, is an obstetrician and gynecologist with a subspecialty in reproductive endocrinology. He is well known for his work in in-vitro fertilization and his association with Nadya Suleman, also known in the media as Octomom, who after planting a large number of embryos inside her, gave birth to eight children. In that case specifically, the Medical Board of California accuses him of gross negligence, saying that the recommended amount of embryos to be transferred for a woman of her age is one, and no more than two should ever be implanted.

In 2006, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) revised its guidelines in the Fertility and Sterility Journal. “For patients under the age of 35 who have a more favorable prognosis, consideration should be given to transferring only a single embryo. All others in this age group should have no more than 2 embryos (cleavage-stage or blastocyst) transferred in the absence of extraordinary circumstances,” it said.

Despite that, he transferred a number of blastocyst embryos that far exceeded the ASRM recommendation and, according to the Medical Board of California, went beyond the reasonable judgment of any treating physician. This round of in-vitro fertilization treatment resulted in the development of an octuplet pregnancy.

Additionally, Dr. Kamrava never referred Suleman to a mental health professional despite her having four children that were all conceived from in-vitro fertilization treatments. She continued to have these treatments without delay despite just having given birth.

The Medical Board of California also is accusing him of gross negligence for his involvement with a second patient, only known as L.C., age 48. After her initial consultation, she explained that she had four pregnancies and three adult children but had not been able to conceive despite recent attempts. She underwent a cycle of in-vitro fertilization treatments and that resulted in the development of a quadruplet pregnancy.

The patient decided not to have a fetal reduction, which would reduce the amount of fetuses in the womb, and went on bedrest for the rest of her pregnancy after experiencing vaginal bleeding. She gave birth to three children after one fetus died. The pregnancy was complex and the children were born premature, additionally, she experienced placenta accreta which called for a hysterectomy. One of the surviving infants has “profound developmental delays.”

Again, he did not refer her to mental health professional despite her being in her late 40’s, her current husband being in his early 30’s, already having three adult children, and was seeking assistive reproductive technology using a donor she knew personally.

Additionally, the Medical Board of California accused him of numerous acts of repeated negligence involving both patients. He is also accused of keeping inadequate records, again, for both patients. The Board will decide to either revoke or suspend his license, issue a fine, and take other action that is deemed necessary.