Nadya Suleman, 33, from Whittier, California has given birth on January 26, 2009 to six boys and two girls at a hospital in California. It is only the second birth of octuplets in the U.S. and the Suleman Octuplets are the longest living octuplets in the U.S.
The Suleman Octuplets, who weighed from 1 pound 8 ounces (680 grams) to 3 pounds 4 ounces, were delivered by cesarean section at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Bellflower, California.
The Bellflower medical center is located about 17 miles southeast of Los Angeles and has an advanced neonatal unit.
The octuplets were born nine weeks premature.
Medical staff originally thought there were only seven babies, and were surprised to find an eighth baby who hadn’t appeared on ultrasound scans.
According to Dr. Harold Henry, who helped lead the team, told reporters that it's easy to miss a baby when there are seven others there, “Ultrasound doesn’t show you everything.”
Dr. Henry said the birth had gone “flawlessly.” The team of 46 medical staff, had practised many times in preparation of the births.
Each of the babies cried spontaneously after birth, a good sign, the doctors said. The first 72 hours are the most critical for the newborns, who were doing well, the hospital said.
As of this morning, Jan 27, 8.30 CDT, it was reported that all babies are now breathing on their own.
It is expected that the infants will remain in the hospital for at least two months and meanwhile are being breastfeed.
“She’s a very strong woman, so she probably will be able to handle all eight babies,” Dr. Mandhir Gupta, a neonatologist involved in the birth.
History shows it is only the second time octuplets have been born in the U.S. The first U.S. set was born in Houston in 1998. One died after a week and the other seven have just celebrated their 10th birthday.
The babies are:
1. Noah, weighing 2 pounds, 11 ounces, born at 10:43 a.m.
2. Maliah, weighing 2 pounds, 12 ounces, born at 10:44 a.m.
3. Isaiah, weighing 3 pounds, 4 ounces, born at 10:45 a.m.
4. Noriah, weighing 2 pounds, 8 ounces, born at 10:45 a.m.
5. Mccai, weighing 1 pound, 8 ounces, born at 10:46 a.m.
6. Josiah, weighing 2 pounds, 12 ounces, born at 10:47 a.m.
7. Jerimiah, weighing 1 pound, 15 ounces, born 10:47 a.m.
8. Jonah, weighing 2 pounds, 11 ounces, born at 10:48 a.m.
It has been reported that the mother who gave birth to the octuplets has six other children, four older boys and two girls, including a set of twins. Those children are ages 7, 6, 5, 3 and two-year-old twins. These children have been living with Miss Suleman and her parents Ed and Angela Suleman.
At the birth of the octuplets, this gives Miss Suleman 14 children under the age of 8, which must be some kind of record in itself for a couple, as a single mother, it must be a world record.
Angela Suleman, Nadya's mother says that all 14 of her grandchildren by Nadya were conceived through in vitro fertilization from the same donor.
Octuplets Born At Kaiser Permanente Medical Center
Bellflower, California
Longest Living Octuplets In U.S.
Suleman Octuplets
