When the infants reach 35 weeks of development, they are released once they can maintain their body temperature, eat regularly and without difficulty, and demonstrate continued growth. Often, the children weigh about 5 pounds when they are released, she said. The octuplets are at 34 weeks of development.
In all cases involving very premature babies, social workers are assigned to evaluate parents and to determine what services to which the children and family may be entitled, Bermudez said.
"If they feel there's a risk to a baby, they contact Child Protective Services and Child Protective Services would make a determination as to whether or not there's a reason for concern," Bermudez said.
The agency could place a protective hold on a baby while determining whether the home environment is safe. The children also can be placed in temporary foster care, she said.
McGraw, who has met and interviewed Suleman at length, said he too is concerned about her ability to handle 14 children on her own. "I don't think she has the money, the space, the transportation, the supplies, the manpower, I don't think she has any of that in place at this point," he said.
But he added that the foster care system, which is where children are sometimes placed in such situations, is not a good alternative either.
"What I have said from the beginning when I first addressed this story is that you can be upset with this mother . . . [but] you can't turn your back on the mother without turning your back on 14 innocent children," McGraw said. "They didn't ask for this."
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jessica.garrison@latimes.com
kimi.yoshino@latimes.com
