In brief
A 34‑year‑old mother in Brisbane gave birth to four identical girls at 28 weeks via C‑section, a birth that doctors estimate happens once in 15 million pregnancies. The quadruplets, named Emily, Harriet, Catherine and Alexa, emerged from a single fertilized egg that split into four embryos. The Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital monitored the mother’s pregnancy from 25 weeks and welcomed the healthy babies into the neonatal intensive care unit, where they remain monitored until full term. The family, who already has four children, sought support through an online fundraiser to purchase a transport van capable of carrying their growing household.
An 34‑year‑old mother in Brisbane has delivered four identical girls after a highly risky pregnancy, a birth that doctors estimate occurs once in 15 million pregnancies.
The children were delivered by caesarean section at 28 weeks and four days on 14 July. All four arose from a single fertilised egg that split into four embryos – a monozygotic quadruplet event that typically shares a placenta.
The mother, Jenitar Na'amoana, and her husband Jortham were stunned when the hospital indicated a quadruplet pregnancy, noting that the high‑risk nature of the birth required inpatient care from 25 weeks. Dr Alexa Bendall, a maternal foetal medicine specialist overseeing the case, remarked that "identical quadruplets are one in 15 million pregnancies, and a shared placenta is unheard of."
The newborns—named Emily, Harriet, Catherine and Alexa—are monitored in the neonatal intensive care unit and are currently doing very well. The doctor described their survival as "a beautiful tribute" to the team’s care.
The parents have four additional children aged one to ten years. To support their growing family, Jenitar launched an online fundraiser that has already raised over A$37,000 to purchase a 10‑seat van. In a message to donors, she expressed gratitude but noted the challenges of caring for four newborns simultaneously.
Naturally conceived quadruplets are extremely rare, with odds estimated at around one in 700,000 births.
