In a remarkable and rare occurrence, a mother has naturally given birth to a group of five infants, ranging from twins to quintuplets. The recent case took place at the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences in the eastern state of Jharkhand, India, where Anita Kumari, a 27-year-old woman, welcomed her babies into the world.
The news of this extraordinary birth was shared by the hospital on Twitter, accompanied by an image of the newborns. The hospital’s obstetrics and gynecology department confirmed that Anita Kumari, hailing from Chatar, gave birth to five children. The successful delivery was carried out under the supervision of Dr. Shashi Bala Singh.
Dr. Rajiv Mishra, a professor in the hospital’s neonatology department, explained that due to limited resources, three of the infants were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), while the remaining two were transferred to another hospital. The first, third, and fifth infants weighed 1.1 kilograms, while the fifth baby weighed 750 grams. All five infants were premature and required specialized care.
Dr. Kiran Shankar Das, an assistant professor in the neonatal department, estimated that the infants would need to be closely monitored for a period of 45 days to two months. Despite their premature birth, the second and fourth infants weighed 900 grams each and were in stable condition. However, the first infant required a ventilator due to its critical condition.
Dr. Das clarified that this remarkable multiple birth was not a result of in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment but rather due to ovulation-inducing drugs that the mother had been taking. While IVF has become a common method for achieving multiple births, this particular case occurred naturally.
This birth of quintuplets holds significant rarity, with the odds of naturally conceiving quintuplets estimated to be around one in 55 million births. However, similar instances of multiple births have been reported in India before. In 2015, a woman in northern Punjab gave birth to five daughters within a span of ten minutes. Additionally, a 25-year-old mother in Jaipur, western Rajasthan, delivered five children, although one of them sadly passed away shortly after birth.
The arrival of five babies at once is undoubtedly a cause for both celebration and concern. The medical team involved will continue their dedicated efforts to provide the best possible care for these infants, hoping to enhance their chances of survival. The birth of these quintuplets serves as a testament to the marvels of nature and the resilience of both the mother and her newborns.
