Abu Dhabi: 5 babies born in rare quintuplet pregnancy

Five newborn babies were delivered from a quintuplet pregnancy today, Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City (SSMC), a subsidiary of the PureHealth group, announced.

Quintuplet pregnancy is extremely rare, with spontaneous occurrences happening in approximately 1 in 45 to 60 million pregnancies, according to Pediatrix.

Such pregnancies can be fraught with numerous complications and risks to both the mother and the newborns, making the successful delivery a major breakthrough.

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A total of 45 medical professionals, including nine neonatologists, four obstetricians, and 10 neonatal intensive care nursing staff, were involved in the delivery, which was performed as an emergency Caesarean section. Ultimately, the procedure proceeded without complications.

Birth at 25 weeks is classified as extremely premature and, as such, each of the quintuplets required immediate and intensive medical attention due to their exceptionally low birth weights, which ranged from 588 to 801 grams.

Following the delivery, the mother was discharged after one week, while all five newborns were able to join her following a stay in the NICU. The family is currently receiving regular follow-up care at SSMC's outpatient clinic, ensuring ongoing support provided by the hospital's paediatric and related multidisciplinary team.

"We have unique obstetrical and neonatology services at SSMC, capable of managing critical pregnancies through a comprehensive, interdisciplinary approach. We are proud to provide exceptional patient care and a highly skilled medical team dedicated to delivering swift and effective treatment for complex cases," Dr Abdulqader Almessabi, Acting Chief Medical Officer at SSMC, stated.