Experts say the chances of conceiving quadruplets are extremely low, so the birth of four babies to an Mpumalanga mother last month was a noteworthy event for her as well as Steve Biko Hospital, which last recorded a multiple birth of this scale in 2013, reports the Sowetan.
Nomcebo Likhuleni (30) had suspected, when she was three months’ pregnant, that she might be carrying twins because of her big bump, and because there was a history of twins in both her family and the father’s family.
At her first clinic visit they thought she was seven months’ pregnant, and the doctor told her she was carrying twins. But when another doctor said she was carrying four, she was shocked, because she is unemployed and already has a daughter, who is six.
Despite the high-risk nature of her pregnancy, she said the journey was relatively smooth, although physically demanding because she was always tired.
She attended regular check-ups every two weeks to monitor the pregnancy, and the quads were born prematurely via Caesarean section on 23 April: two girls and two boys. The boys shared a placenta, while the girls each had their own placenta.
Lekhuleni’s quadruplets were delivered by a medical team led by obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr Ayanda Mini, who described the experience as both challenging and rewarding.
“The main complication we encountered was anaemia, which is common in pregnancy but can be more severe with multiple pregnancies, but which we monitored and managed carefully,” she said.
In preparation for the premature delivery, Likhuleni was admitted about a week before delivery.
“We administered steroids to help with the babies’ lung development and magnesium sulphate to reduce complications associated with prematurity,” Mini said.
The Caesarean section lasted about 90 minutes.
While multiple births are not uncommon at the hospital, quadruplets marked a first for Mini. “Triplets are something we see fairly regularly, but this was my first delivery of quadruplets. It was definitely a career milestone.”
According to Dr Angelique Coetzee from the Unity Forum of Family Practitioners, quadruplet pregnancies are highly uncommon.
“In a natural pregnancy, having quadruplets is not common at all. It does happen, but it’s very rare,” she said.
Higher-order multiple pregnancies were often linked to fertility treatments, and the odds of naturally conceiving quadruplets are exceptionally low.
“If conceived naturally, the likelihood is estimated at around one in 500 000 to one in 700 000 pregnancies,” she said.
Sowetan article – WATCH | Quadruple babies surprise for mom expecting twins (Restricted access)
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