By Our Correspondent
National News – An Ethiopian woman, Bedriya Adem, 35, from Harari Regional State, has delivered rare quintuplets after 12 years of waiting for a child at Hiwot Fana Specialised Hospital in eastern Ethiopia.
The birth, which took place on Tuesday evening, involved four boys and a girl delivered through a Caesarean section.
Doctors confirmed both mother and babies are in good health and under close monitoring.
The hospital’s medical director, Dr Mohammed Nur Abdulahi, said the pregnancy occurred naturally without in vitro fertilisation (IVF), making it an extremely rare case.
He noted that natural conception of quintuplets is highly uncommon globally. The babies weighed between 1.3kg and 1.4kg at birth.
Bedriya described the event as an answered prayer after years of emotional pain, social pressure, and infertility struggles.
She said she initially believed she was carrying four babies until a fifth child was discovered during delivery.
She credited her husband’s emotional support during the long wait, despite societal expectations.
The newborns, named Naif, Ammar, Munzir, Nazira, and Ansar, are currently receiving medical care alongside their mother.
Bedriya expressed concern about raising five children as a subsistence farmer but remains hopeful that community and government support will help.
This rare quintuplet birth highlights both medical uniqueness and human resilience, drawing attention to fertility challenges and the emotional journey of long-term infertility before successful childbirth.
This case has attracted attention from medical experts due to the rarity of spontaneous quintuplet pregnancies, which occur in a very small fraction of natural births worldwide.
Health professionals noted that such multiple pregnancies often require intensive monitoring due to risks like premature birth and low birth weight.
The Hiwot Fana Specialised Hospital team said additional neonatal care is being provided to ensure the survival and healthy development of the infants.
The story has also sparked public interest in Ethiopia, highlighting both advancements in maternal healthcare and the emotional strength of families facing long-term infertility challenges before achieving successful childbirth in Harari region.
