In brief
A Brisbane mother, Jenitar Na’amoana, has welcomed four healthy girls from a naturally conceived identical quadruplet pregnancy – a rarity that British doctors estimate occurs once in 15 million pregnancies. The babies, named Emily, Harriet, Catherine, and Alexa, were delivered by Caesarean at 28 weeks and remain in the neonatal intensive care unit. Dr. Alexa Bendall, who guided the mother through the risky journey, praises the team’s care and highlights the extraordinary odds of such an event. The family has launched a fundraising campaign for a 10‑seat van to accommodate their growing numbers, already raising over A$37,000.
An Australian woman has given birth to four unprecedented identical infants after a pregnancy described as "extremely high risk". The babies, four girls, were delivered through Caesarean section on 14–July at 28 weeks and four days, a point where the medical team noted the risk level was still ultra‑high.[^1]
Jenitar Na’amoana, 34, and her husband Jortham, who already had four older children, were blindsided when the clinic informed them they were carrying monozygotic quadruplets – a condition where a single fertilised egg splits into four embryos. Dr. Alexa Bendall highlighted that such a pregnancy occurs approximately once every 15 million births. She also added that sharing a single placenta is "unheard of" and adds to the complexity of the case.[^2]
Bendall – a maternal‑fetal medicine specialist – admitted the mother was admitted as an inpatient at 25 weeks to monitor her condition closely. "If we could get her to 28 weeks, we would be doing well," the doctor said. "Having four healthy babies born at that gestation is incredible – we are thrilled to have played a part," Bendall added after the birth of Emily, Harriet, Catherine and Alexa, the last named after the senior doctor as a tribute.[^3]
The infants are currently in the neonatal intensive care unit, with Dr. Bendall reporting they are doing "extremely well" as they grow to full term. Their parents are between one and ten years old, and the mother has begun an online fundraising campaign to purchase a 10‑seat van. The campaign, already surpassing A$37,000, helps the family accommodate the unique needs of four newborn twins [^4]
Natural quadruplets such as these are exceptionally rare, with odds quoted at about one in 700,000 deliveries worldwide. The story of these parents has captured widespread support and interest, underscoring how modern medicine can transform the experience of low‑probability births into joyous milestones for families.
Sources: Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital reports; Dr. Alexa Bendall interviews; Jenitar Na’amoana fundraising page.
