In brief
In Brisbane, a 34‑year‑old mother gave birth to identical quadruplet girls via caesarean at just 28 weeks. The Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital treated the pregnancy as extremely high‑risk, monitoring the mother from 25 weeks. The babies—named Emily, Harriet, Catherine and Alexa—are thriving in the neonatal intensive care unit. The family is raising funds for transport as their small home will need a larger van to accommodate their eight children. Their story highlights the extraordinary odds of natural quadruplet conception, estimated at one in 700,000 births.
On 14 July, 34‑year‑old Jenitar Na'amoana in Brisbane’s Royal Brisbane & Women’s Hospital delivered four identical girls via caesarean section at 28 weeks and four days. The quadruplets—Emily, Harriet, Catherine and Alexa—were born prematurely but have survived the critical early weeks.
Dr Alexa Bendall, the maternal‑fetal medicine specialist who monitored Na'amoana from the first trimester, described the case as “extremely high‑risk” and noted that identical quadruplets share a single placenta are unheard of, occurring at roughly one in 15 million pregnancies.
The babies’ names honour their relatives and the doctor—Emily, Harriet, Catherine, and Alexa, after Dr Bendall, reflecting the mother’s gratitude for the care received.
All four are currently in the neonatal intensive care unit, where they are expected to grow to full term. Their progress is described as “extremely well” by the medical team.
Beyond the birth, Na'amoana has launched an online fundraiser to purchase a van with 10‑seat capacity, as her family already includes children aged one to 10. The fundraising page has attracted over A$37,000 (£19,261) in donations.
Clinicians stress that naturally conceived identical quadruplets are an exceptionally rare event, with odds estimated at about one in 700,000 births—underscoring the extraordinary health and emotional journey faced by this Brisbane family.
