Australian woman gives birth to rare identical quadruplet daughters
An Australian couple has welcomed naturally conceived identical quadruplet daughters, a rare occurrence estimated at one in 15 million. Medical experts and other parents of multiples have shared advice and well-wishes for the family as they navigate the challenges of raising four infants.
Why it matters
The story highlights rare biological phenomena and provides a human-interest perspective on the challenges of large-scale parenting.
Jenitar Na'amoana and her husband, Jortham, thought their family was complete after welcoming four children. Then came an unexpected surprise: four naturally conceived, identical daughters.Na'amoana, 34, gave birth to Emily, Harriet, Catherine and Alexa last week. "The fact that we've got four beautiful, healthy babies born at 28 weeks and four days is incredible," said Dr. Alexa Bendall of the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital. All four daughters share 100% of their DNA after a single fertilized egg split into four embryos, making the pregnancy a one-in-15-million occurrence.
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