Octuplet 'surprise' for US mother
A woman in California has given birth to eight babies, only the second time in history octuplets have survived more than a few hours.
The mother gave birth on Monday to six boys and two girls weighing between 1lb 8oz and 3lb 4oz, doctors at Kaiser Permanente Bellflower Medical Centre said. The hospital had scheduled a Caesarean section for seven babies, but doctors were surprised when an eighth came out.
"My eyes were wide," Dr Karen Maples said, explaining her reaction to the last birth.
Doctors said the babies were born nine weeks premature but are in a stable condition. Two were placed on ventilators and a third needs oxygen.
Hospital officials would not release any information about the mother, including her name, condition or whether she used fertility drugs. They did, however, say she planned to breastfeed all of them.
"She's a very strong woman, so she probably will be able to handle all eight babies," said Dr Mandhir Gupta, a neo-natologist who is caring for the infants.
The mother checked into the hospital in her 23rd week of pregnancy and gave birth seven weeks later. All eight babies will probably remain in the hospital for at least two months and the mother should be released in a week, Maples said.
The world's first live octuplets were born in March 1967 in Mexico City, but all the babies died within 14 hours, according to Encyclopaedia Britannica.
The US' first live octuplets were born in Houston in December 1998. They were three months premature and their weights at birth ranged from 11oz to 1lb 11oz. The tiniest died of heart and lung failure a week after being born. The surviving siblings - girls Ebuka, Gorom, Chidi, Chima and Echerem, and their brothers Ikem and Jioke - turned 10 in December.
Forty-six hospital staff and four delivery rooms were used for the latest octuplets' births. After one baby was born, staff rushed the newborn into another room and waited for the next, the hospital said. But despite weeks of preparation, doctors did not expect the eighth child.
