Rare identical quadruplets born in Australia
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- Jenitar Na'amoana, 34, delivered monozygotic quadruplets via caesarean at 28 weeks and four days on 14 July at the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, in a pregnancy the hospital described as "extremely high risk."
- Dr Alexa Bendall, the maternal foetal medicine specialist who cared for Na'amoana, estimated identical quadruplets occur in one in every 15 million pregnancies and said all four babies sharing the same placenta was "unheard of."
- Na'amoana was admitted as an inpatient at 25 weeks for continuous monitoring; Bendall said reaching 28 weeks was the team's goal and that the mother "dodged every complication and risk for both herself and her babies."
- The four girls were named Emily, Harriet, Catherine, and Alexa, with the last named after Bendall, who called it "a beautiful tribute."
- The parents already have four children aged between one and 10, and Na'amoana has launched an online fundraising campaign that has raised over A$37,000 (£19,261) toward buying a van with at least 10 seats.
- The newborns will remain in the hospital's neonatal intensive care unit until they reach full term but are "currently doing extremely well," according to Bendall.
Why it matters: The family jumps from four children to eight overnight, creating immediate logistical and financial strain that prompted the public fundraiser for a 10-seat van. Medically, the birth achieved a milestone Bendall's team set as their best-case scenario — safely reaching 28 weeks — in a pregnancy with odds of roughly one in 15 million.
