Abu Dhabi: Even though multiple pregnancies run in her family, 26-year-old Al Shaima Hamza Kamal Aideen was utterly amazed when first told that she was expecting quadruplets.
"My husband and I were simply looking to welcome a second child into our family and I had received no fertility treatments of any sort. So my first reaction was one of utter surprise when my doctors told me that I had conceived four babies at the same time," Al Shaima, an anaesthetist from Sudan, told Gulf News.
The three sons and a daughter born to Al Shaima and her businessman husband, Mubarak Al Bushr Abdullah, 36, on Monday are now being hailed as a miracle of sorts, as the odds of conceiving quadruplets without fertility assistance (spontaneous conception) are estimated at one in half a million.
"Nearly 90 per cent of quadruplet pregnancies occur as a result of seeking fertility assistance such as IVF treatments. This is therefore an extremely rare occurrence," said Dr Vijaya Gowri Ramanathan, director of foetal medicine at the Corniche Hospital.
"Due to its multiple nature, this kind of pregnancy is also considered high-risk," she added.
The couple had first arrived in the capital in September for a consultation with an obstetric specialist in the city.
"In my fourth month of pregnancy, I discovered that I had conceived quadruplets. So two months later, my husband and I came over, expecting to stay with relatives for only a month while we underwent the regular consultation. When it was time for us to leave, however, our doctor advised us not to fly back because my pregnancy was high-risk," Al Shaima said.
So the expectant parents approached the Sudanese embassy for financial help and delivery costs.
"God had chosen to bless us with four little bundles of joy, and we left it up to Him to help us with these other details. The embassy assured us that they would provide assistance," Abdullah said.
But a surprise announcement yesterday by the Office of General Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, further added to the couple's joy.
"We have been informed that the family's hospital expenses have been kindly paid for by the Office of the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince. We at the hospital are also committed to providing exceptional health care to all our patients, and congratulate the family on the birth of their quadruplets," said Dr Mariam Al Mazroui, deputy chief financial officer at the Corniche Hospital.
The babies were delivered by Caesarean section in a 45-minute operation, and are in good health along with their mother. They are however being kept in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit for observation.
"At this point, we want to ensure that the babies are feeding well, and that they are not facing any problems with breathing, body temperature control or sugar control. Depending on how well they are faring, they are expected to be at the hospital for one to three weeks longer," Dr Ramanathan said.
The parents, who expect to return to Sudan in a few months, however admitted that they were worried about providing proper care for their little family.
Named after ruling family
The proud parents have decided to name their quadruplets after the UAE ruling family. Fatima, weighing 2.19 kilograms, was born at 10.19am on December 19; Zayed, weighing 1.92 kilograms, was born at 10.20am; Khalifa, weighing 2.27 kilograms was born at 10.21am and Saif, weighing 2.38 kilograms, was born at 10.22am.
"We would have loved to name one of them Mohammad, but my three-year-old son already has that prestigious name," Mubarak Al Bushr Abdullah, the father, told Gulf News.
