Quads well enough to leave Rotunda at three weeks old

THE FIRST quadruplets born in the Rotunda Hospital in Dublin since 2004 went home with their parents Turrty Nkiru Chime (34) and her partner Pius Nwedo (38) yesterday, just three weeks after their birth.

Baby girl Cindy and her brothers Leon, Seán and Divine were remarkable in being born so close to full term having arrived at 32 weeks into the pregnancy on June 17th last.

Quadruplets are very rare, accounting for fewer than one in every 50,000 births, with an average of just one set born here each year. They are becoming more uncommon as advances in IVF (in-vitro fertilisation) mean fewer embryos are implanted.

However, the birth of these babies was even more unusual as their conception was not the result of fertility treatment.

“Spontaneous occurrence of quads is extremely rare. There were more in the past with IVF treatments but because of advances there, they really are exceptional,” Dr Adrienne Foran, neonatal consultant at the Rotunda, said.

The babies were more remarkable still for having such high birth weights for a multiple birth, ranging from 1.66kg to 1.86kg, and being born free from any additional health problems often associated with multiple births, Dr Foran said.

“With any multiple birth, even the birth of twins, there is a higher risk of complications, particularly with pre-term births. Reaching 32 weeks is in itself a huge achievement, but there are all the other risks such as twin-to- twin-transfusion, growth restrictions, poor placental sufficiencies . . . but none of these occurred here.”

Ms Nkiru Chime, who arrived in Ireland from Nigeria seven years ago just before the birth of her first child, was admitted to the Rotunda at just under 24 weeks and was kept in until the delivery by Caesarean section.

“One of the main reasons we kept her in hospital was that she already had three children at home and tiredness can impair growth of the babies,” Dr Foran said

Ms Nkiru Chime, who is already the mother of Junior (6), Tracey (4) and Princess (2), said she was shocked when she learned she was carrying quadruplets. “I came in for my check-up a few months into the pregnancy and they told me. I was very surprised, I thought they were joking, but it was frightening also.” The weeks since the birth had been tiring, she said, but she was delighted by how healthy her babies were.

“I have not had any sleep because I am breastfeeding and using bottles and they are eating a lot! They can never wait four hours, they just start crying for food, but I know this means they are very healthy. I will ask God to give me strength, but it is very stressful.”