A Brisbane woman has given birth to naturally conceived identical quadruplets, a medical event believed to be a first for Australia. Jenitar Na'amoana, 34, delivered four girls via Cesarean section at the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital at just over 28 weeks gestation.
The "one in 15 million" pregnancy resulted from a single fertilized egg splitting into four, a phenomenon that has resulted in an instant brood of eight children for the family.
"This is unheard of... we don't think it has ever happened in Australia," said Alexa Bendall, a doctor at the hospital who cared for Ms. Na'amoana. Bendall noted that very few such cases have been recorded globally. "There may have been a couple of cases elsewhere in the world and when I say a couple, literally two."
Ms. Na'amoana was reportedly still breastfeeding her youngest child when she discovered she was pregnant again. The surprise of a single pregnancy quickly turned into astonishment upon learning there were four babies.
The quadruplets, named Emily, Harriet, Catherine, and Alexa, were born on July 14. The naming of Alexa was a tribute to Dr. Bendall.
Despite the high-risk nature of the pregnancy, Dr. Bendall described Ms. Na'amoana as having handled every stage with resilience. "We have never seen a spontaneously conceived pregnancy of this type with quads, and she has somehow dodged every complication and risk for both herself and her babies to be here today, with four gorgeous newborn girls."
The newborns are expected to remain in the hospital for an extended period before they can go home. The family has initiated a GoFundMe campaign to assist with medical expenses, travel, and daily living costs, and they are also seeking to purchase a larger van to accommodate their growing family.
