An Australian woman has given birth to rare, naturally-conceived identical quadruplets after already having four children. The four girls were delivered via caesarean section at 28 weeks and four days on July 14 at the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital.
Extremely Rare Pregnancy
The quadruplets are monozygotic, meaning a single fertilised egg split into four embryos. The pregnancy was described as "extremely high risk" by the hospital. Dr Alexa Bendall, a maternal foetal medicine specialist and obstetrician, said identical quadruplets occur "at one in every 15 million pregnancies" and noted that sharing the same placenta is "unheard of".
Naturally conceived quadruplets are rare overall, with doctors estimating odds at about one in 700,000 births. The mother, 34-year-old Jenitar Na'amoana, and her husband Jortham were taken by "immense surprise" when told to expect quadruplets.
Delivery and Naming
The four girls were born on July 14 and named Emily, Harriet, Catherine, and Alexa—the latter after Dr Bendall. They will remain in the intensive care unit until they reach full term. Dr Bendall said: "We always said that if we could get her to 28 weeks, we would be doing well. So the fact that we've got four beautiful, healthy babies born at 28 weeks and four days is incredible."
Family Challenges
The Na'amoanas already have four children aged between one and 10. Jenitar Na'amoana launched a fundraiser to help buy a new van, writing: "Our four precious miracles have arrived safely, and while our hearts are overflowing with gratitude, the reality of caring for four newborns at once has brought challenges we never could have imagined."
Dr Bendall praised the mother: "Jenitar has taken everything in her stride from day one... she has somehow dodged every complication and risk for both herself and her babies."
