Astonishing Birth: Brisbane Woman Gives Birth to Identical Quadruplets

A Brisbane Miracle

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A Brisbane woman, Jenitar Sau Na'amoana, 34, has given birth to identical quadruplets – an extremely rare “one in 15 million” event. The quadruplets were born at 28 weeks and four days, and their mother was cared for by a team of experts at the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital.

Caring for the Miraculous Babies

Dr Alexa Bendall, a fetal medicine specialist and obstetrician at Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, cared for Sau Na'amoana throughout the pregnancy. She said the now mum-of-eight handled the news well, taking “everything in her stride from day one.” This included acknowledging the high-risk nature of a quadruplet pregnancy.

“Whenever you have a multiple pregnancy – which is usually twins, not quads – where the babies are sharing a placenta, there’s a very high risk of complications,” Bendall said. “Babies can be growth-restricted … there can be a high risk of mortality and morbidity for these babies and for mum.”

A Rare Conception

Monozygotic quadruplets – identical quadruplets split from one singular fertilised egg – are one of the rarest types of pregnancies in the world. Adding to Sau Na'amoana’s extraordinary odds was the fact that her quadruplets shared the same placenta.

“So four sacs, one placenta – we think the figures are about one in every 15 million for a case like this, to be spontaneously conceived. We don’t think it’s ever happened in Australia,” Dr Bendall said.

The Girls' Names

The four girls – Emily, Harriet, Alexa, and Catherine – were delivered by caesarean section on July 14. Alexa is named after Dr Bendall, who said she was "incredibly honoured" that the family decided to name their child after her.

Next Steps

The four babies are currently doing “extremely well” and will remain in the hospital’s specialist Neonatal Intensive Care Unit to grow to full term. Dr Bendall said that the hospital team was happy to see the babies reach 28 weeks, which is a significant milestone in their development.