Ethiopian mother's joy at rare quintuplets puts neonatal care in spotlight

Tikur Anbessa University Hospital in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, has hosted a rare quintuplet birth, ending a 12-year wait for the parents. According to the BBC, the delivery went well, with both the mother and all five babies in stable condition.

Selam Tekle, 34, and her husband Daniel Ayele had spent years trying for a child with medical support, eventually achieving pregnancy through ovulation-induction therapy. The pregnancy was confirmed as quintuplets at 12 weeks via ultrasound. Doctors said quintuplet pregnancies naturally occur at a rate of about one in 55 million.

The delivery took place at 32 weeks through an unplanned Caesarean section. According to the BBC, an 18-strong medical team - five neonatal intensive care specialists, three obstetrician-gynaecologists, eight nurses and two anaesthetists - took part in the procedure. The delivery itself took about 90 minutes.

The babies weighed between 980 grams and 1,380 grams. All of them were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit immediately after birth. Three babies who needed respiratory support during the first week were gradually weaned off it from the second week. The condition of all the babies is described as stable.

The quintuplet birth has put neonatal care capacity in Ethiopia back on the public agenda. The country still has a higher number of newborns per neonatal intensive care bed than the sub-Saharan African average, according to UN data. Tikur Anbessa University Hospital has one of the country's largest neonatal intensive care units, with a capacity of 40 incubators.

Dr Liya Tadesse of Ethiopia's Ministry of Health told the BBC: "This birth is an example that shows the skill of our country's health staff and the value of the infrastructure investments made over the last decade." Tadesse said neonatal intensive care capacity nationwide had risen by 40 percent over the last five years.

Various arrangements are also being made for the family's financial situation and long-term support. According to the BBC, offers of baby care supplies and longer-term financial support have come in from private companies and civil-society organisations after the birth. Hospital management has made special provision for the family to rest in adjacent rooms.

Experts also advise caution on the medical side effects of quintuplet pregnancies. Dr Tigist Mengistu, a professor of paediatrics at Tikur Anbessa, told the BBC: "The babies will need to be closely followed up over the next six to twelve months, particularly for respiratory, vision and developmental issues." In such multiple-birth pregnancies, neurodevelopmental risks have been reported as being three to five times higher than in single births.

Selam Tekle, alongside her husband Daniel Ayele, expressed her satisfaction with the care received in hospital. Speaking to the BBC, she said: "I dreamed of this day for 12 years. There are no words to describe what I feel right now." The parents said they had not yet named the babies and that, in line with Ethiopian tradition, the naming ceremony would be held on the 40th day after birth.

A new postnatal follow-up programme is also on the agenda in Ethiopia. The Ministry of Health announced a programme offering free monthly health checks to families with multiple births during the first two years. The target population for the programme is around 1,200 families a year. According to the BBC, the programme will cover both Selam Tekle's family and others in similar circumstances.