UAE: After 3 girls, Sharjah mum gives birth to quadruplet boys

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Sharjah - Only one in every 700,000 pregnancies result in quadruplets.

Published: Tue 3 Aug 2021, 2:11 AM

By
Saman Haziq

A Sharjah couple is celebrating a rare moment, as they recently became parents to a set of quadruplets — all four boys. Only one in every 700,000 pregnancies result in quadruplets.

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The Egyptian couple already has three daughters — Habiba, 11; Farah, 6; and Rahma, 4. They wished to have more children and so, opted for an IVF procedure at NMC Royal Hospital, Sharjah.

Hiba (name changed), the 33-year-old mother, had a high risk pregnancy, but beat all odds to give birth to four boys weighing between 1.6 to 2kg on July 6.

A crew of around 20 doctors and nurses from multiple specialities assisted in the birth process of the quadruplets, who have been named Ahmed, Adam, Mohamed and Malek.

This was Hiba’s fourth C-section delivery, as her other three girls were also delivered in the same manner.

Dr Ahmed Elbohoty, gynaecologist and IVF consultant, who delivered the babies via emergency C-section, said: “Delivering the babies in the 31st week of gestation came with a very high risk." The doctor said he'd originally been aiming to delay time of delivery, keeping in mind the safety of both the mother and the kids.

“Quadruplet pregnancies are as rare as 1 in 700,000 cases with 25 per cent risk of spontaneous loss before birth,” said Dr Pooja Agarwal, specialist neonatology at the hospital.

“At the time of delivery almost 20 doctors and nurses from multispecialities were there to help for a smooth transition. The babies needed mild respiratory support after birth and two babies had feed intolerance,” said Dr Agarwal.

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Michael Brenden Davis, CEO, NMC Healthcare said: “We are delighted to be sending home these little bundles of joy to start their lives. I am so thankful to our amazing team of doctors and nurses for their hard work and dedication — and also to the parents of these sweet quadruplets who kept their faith in us all along.”

An excited and grateful father, Omar said: “I would like to thank everyone in the hospital for all the superb services given to my wife. The overall warmth and personal touch was amazing. We are happy that, despite the low birth weights, the babies are doing fine.”

saman@khaleejtimes.com