After 12-year wait, Ethiopian woman delivers rare quintuplets
A 35-year-old woman in Ethiopia’s Harari Regional state has given birth to quintuplets after 12 years of trying for a baby, a rarity the hospital says followed a natural conception. The four boys and one girl were delivered by Caesarean section on Tuesday evening at Hiwot Fana Specialised Hospital, which reported that the mother and newborns are in "full health" and remain under medical care.
The babies have been named Naif, Ammar, Munzir, Nazira and Ansar. They each weighed between 1.3kg and 1.4kg (about 3lb), according to hospital medical director Dr Mohammed Nur Abdulahi. He said newborns above 1kg have a high chance of survival and healthy growth, and the family will continue to be monitored in hospital.
Dr Abdulahi said the mother conceived without in vitro fertilisation, which the hospital does not offer. Assisted reproduction can increase the likelihood of multiple births when more than one embryo is transferred, but the chance of conceiving quintuplets naturally is estimated at about one in 55 million.
The first-time mother said she had prayed for a child after years of what she described as depression and pain, and was "overjoyed" to be blessed with five. She had initially been told to expect four babies, she said, only to learn there was a fifth at delivery.
Dr Abdulahi said she received regular medical care throughout the pregnancy and was informed she was carrying more than one baby, adding that she had full assistance during the Caesarean and was "excited" after the birth. The woman said her husband has a child from a previous marriage who lives with them, and that community scrutiny over her inability to conceive had taken a psychological toll.
A subsistence farmer, she expressed uncertainty about providing for the larger family but said she believes support from her community and the government will help.