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Octuplet mom can't 'pacify' critics
August 12, 1996
Web posted at: 4:50 p.m. EDT (2050 GMT)LONDON (CNN) -- A high-paying contract between a British tabloid newspaper and a single mother expecting eight babies provoked a firestorm of criticism Monday on a variety of subjects.
But 31-year-old Mandy Allwood -- who has a 5-year-old son conceived naturally from her first marriage and recently underwent fertility treatment -- was relaxed and comfortable at an undisclosed location with her boyfriend, her publicity agent insisted.
The weekly News of the World reported Sunday that Allwood, of Solihull in Central England, was planning to let nature take its course despite the advice of her gynecologist, Dr. Kypros Nicolaides, that this choice could risk the lives of her babies and herself.
"The uterus cannot expand beyond certain limits," said Nicolaides, who has offered to abort six of the fetuses.
He and other fertility specialists warn that Allwood has little chance of delivering healthy babies unless the number of fetuses is reduced.
But anti-abortion groups have praised her wish to carry all eight to term.
'The babies will suffer'
There have been unconfirmed reports of women giving birth to 10 babies at a time, and medically recorded cases of nonuplets (nine babies), according to the Guinness Book of Records.
The highest recorded number in Britain is septuplets (seven). But it said in all such cases none of the babies survived.
Allwood reportedly has already made $500,000 (U.S.) selling her story to the tabloid and will make more, depending on how many babies are actually born.
In addition, TV exclusives and sponsorship deals could bring in another $1.5 million, says Max Clifford, O.J. Simpson's British publicity agent who is now handling Allwood.
The money and notoriety mean both Allwood and the babies will "suffer," said Dr. Thomas Stuttaford, a medical columnist for the Times of London newspaper. (344K AIFF or WAV sound)
'Not a penny'
But Clifford told CNN that Allwood's primary concern is delivering eight healthy children, "even if there's not a penny involved." (300K AIFF or WAV sound)
Besides money, the story has also fueled debate over Allwood's relationship with 37-year-old boyfriend Paul Hudson and the ease with which she received fertility treatment from Britain's free National Health Service.
Hudson, who was unaware of the fertility treatment, is the unmarried father of two children by another woman. Both Allwood and Hudson are on welfare.
The mother of Hudson's children has described him as a "good and supporting father. So, hopefully, he will (also) be a good and supporting father to however many children Mandy has," Clifford said.
The agent said he doesn't know if Allwood and Hudson plan to marry or even live together.
Correspondent Margaret Lowrie, The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
Related story:
- Woman says she's having all eight babies - August 11, 1996
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