In brief
In Brisbane, a 34‑year‑old woman gave birth to naturally conceived, identical quadruplets via Caesarean at 28 weeks. The babies share a single placenta – a medical rarity usually occurring in one out of every 15 million pregnancies. All four are healthy in the neonatal intensive care unit and the family has already raised over A$37,000 through a fundraiser. Dr. Alexa Bendall, who oversaw the mother’s care, hailed the birth as a miracle, naming one girl after herself. The quadruplets, named Emily, Harriet, Catherine and Alexa, are set to grow in a home that will soon acquire a van to accommodate the family’s needs.
Australian woman has given birth to a rare, naturally conceived set of identical quadruplets after a high‑risk pregnancy.
The four girls were delivered via Caesarean section at 28 weeks and 4 days on 14 July. They are monozygotic, meaning a single fertilised egg split into four embryos.
Dr Alexa Bendall, a maternal foetal medicine specialist, said identical quadruplets occur “once in 15 million pregnancies,” and the shared placenta is unheard of. The hilly mother, 34‑year‑old Jenitar Na'amoana, was admitted at 25 weeks for careful monitoring.
All four newborns now spend time in the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit and are reportedly healthy. The family has launched a fundraiser that has already raised over A$37,000.
They have been named Emily, Harriet, Catherine, and Alexa. The mother says her and her husband’s hearts are “overflowing with gratitude.”
