Mbarar, (UG):- In an extraordinarily rare occurrence, Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital (MRRH) is in a celebratory mood after successfully delivering two sets of quadruplets in just one week.
Quadruplet pregnancy, a condition where a mother carries four fetuses, is estimated to occur between 1 in 500,000 to 1 in 700,000 pregnancies worldwide, but, western Uganda hospital which conducts 12000 annual deliveries broke this record with two mothers conceiving naturally, without assisted reproductive technology like IVF.
Ms Juliet Amumpaire, 37, is beaming with joy and relief after delivering quadruplets at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital (MRRH).
She was admitted for a week as medics prolonged her very high-risk pregnancy to 36 weeks and delivered through an elective cesarean section. Her face beams up as she talks about her baby girls, weighing 1.7kgs to 1.9kgs respectively.
Ms Amumpaire who is still on the postnatal ward with her husband by her side, has now become a tourist attraction with many visitors and staff eager to catch a glimpse of rare quadruplets.
The father, Leonidas Abenawe 31 a local photographer in Ibanda District is equally marvelled. But worries to raise four babies at once with his meagre monthly income of 250,000 shillings are evident on her face.
DailyExpress understands this is the couple’s second pregnancy, after having identical twin boys six years ago.
In the second miraculous happening, Ms Macklin Namara, another mother, also delivered quadruplets at 32 weeks, and the babies are in good condition at the Hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. They were blessed with two boys and two girls.
We understand that the mother is still undergoing postoperative care treatment but the couple is grateful to the support rendered by the medical team.
According to Doctor Cexton Kakama the Obstetrician at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital, With advances in medical technologies, multiple pregnancies can be detected as early as six weeks.
With a high-risk pregnancy, frequent antenatal care visits are crucial as they allow health professionals to mitigate potential complications early on.
A multidisciplinary medical team, each with different roles from monitoring the mother to caring for the newborn worked together to ensure this success according to Dr Stella Kyoyagala, a paediatrician at the government facility.
The hospital administration expressed gratitude to the team that successfully operated on these mothers, showcasing the institution’s capacity and commitment to offering highly specialized services.
According to Dr Deus Twesigye, the Acting Hospital Director General, Worldwide, quadruplet pregnancies are extremely rare, occurring in only 1 in 500,000 to 1 in 700,000 pregnancies.
“In the United States, there were 193 quadruplets born in 2017. In Canada, 1 in every 729,000 births are quadruplets,” he says.
Despite initial concerns about breast milk supply, quadruplet’s mothers are able to produce enough milk to exclusively breastfeed their babies, with mothers prioritizing hygiene, nutrition and taking plenty of fluids.
Locals perceive giving birth to quadruplets as a blessing and a miracle, but also a significant challenge which expands allay fears of inadequate milk supply among quadruplet mothers.
Quadruplet pregnancy occurs either by multizygotic which involves fertilization of four different sets of ovum and sperm or monozygotic fertilization where a fertilized egg splits into four embryos.
Multizygotic quadruplets can be of the same sex or a combination of both, while monozygotic quadruplets will always be of the same gender, like Amumpaire’s babies.
The mother with a multifetal pregnancy should start as early as 6 weeks to ensure comprehensive care and support.
For help and support, please contact Juliet Amumpaire on 0778070554 / 0770561308 / 0755050409, registered in her name.
