A Miracle of 1 in 15 Million! Australian Mom Gives Birth to Identical Quadruplets Despite Already Having Four Children

An Australian woman has delivered rare, naturally conceived identical quadruplets after a pregnancy deemed 'extremely high-risk' by the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital. The four baby girls were born via cesarean section on July 14 at 28 weeks and 4 days of gestation. They are monozygotic quadruplets, meaning they originated from a single fertilized egg that split into four embryos. Hospital staff reported that 34-year-old mother Jenitar Na'amoana and her husband Jortham already had four children. Upon learning they were expecting quadruplets, they said they were 'incredibly shocked.' Dr. Alexa Bendall, who has cared for Ms. Na'amoana since early pregnancy, estimated the odds of identical quadruplets occurring at about 'one in 15 million pregnancies.' She added, 'But all four fetuses sharing the same placenta is something I've never heard of before.' As a maternal-fetal medicine specialist and obstetrician, Dr. Bendall explained that such pregnancies carry extremely high risks, leading the hospital to admit Ms. Na'amoana at 25 weeks for continuous monitoring. 'We always thought that if we could get her to 28 weeks, that would be a great outcome,' said Dr. Bendall. 'So for four beautiful, healthy babies to be born at 28 weeks and 4 days is incredible. We're thrilled to have been part of this journey.' She continued, 'From day one, Jenitar has remained calm through it all... Somehow, she avoided every complication and risk that could have affected her and her babies.' The newborn girls have been named Emily, Harriet, Catherine, and Alexa—with the name Alexa honoring Dr. Alexa Bendall herself. Dr. Bendall called this gesture 'a beautiful tribute.' She added that the infants will remain in the hospital's neonatal intensive care unit until they reach full-term development and noted they are currently 'doing very well.' The couple's other four children range in age from 1 to 10 years old. To accommodate their growing family, Ms. Na'amoana recently launched an online fundraising campaign to purchase a vehicle capable of seating at least 10 people. On the fundraising page, she wrote, 'Our four precious little miracles have safely arrived. While we are deeply grateful, the reality of caring for four newborns simultaneously brings challenges we never imagined.' To date, the campaign has raised over AUD 37,000 (USD 25,900; CNY 175,000; TWD 837,000). Naturally conceived quadruplets are extremely rare. Medical experts estimate the occurrence rate at approximately one in every 700,000 births.