Identical triplets, quadruplets born

Last week, a woman in Austria gave birth to identical triplets, which is extremely rare.

Mae Christina Astley, 25, had the three girls, called Amy, Kim and Zoe, delivered by Caesarean section at Feldkirch State Hospital in Western Austria on Monday.

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Identical triplets are created either when a single fertilised egg divides into three, or when one embryo splits into two to form identical twin embryos, and then one of these divides again. They account for about 6 per cent of all triplet pregnancies.

Identical triplets occur in between one in 130,000 and one in 150,000 pregnancies, although many of these are not carried to term because of complications. About ten sets of identical triplets are conceived in Britain each year.

As unlikely as it is for a woman to carry identical triplets to term, just imagine the odds of identical quadruplets.

Well, guess what?

A 35-year-old Canadian woman has given birth to rare identical quadruplets, hospital officials said Thursday.

Karen Jepp of Calgary, Alberta, delivered Autumn, Brooke, Calissa and Dahlia by Caesarian section Sunday afternoon at Benefis Healthcare hospital in Great Falls, Mont., said Amy Astin, the hospital's director of community and government relations.

The four girls were breathing without ventilators and listed in good condition Thursday, Astin said.

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The chances of giving birth to identical quadruplets is about one in 13 million, [perinatologist Dr. Tom Key] said.

Wow.

I'm glad everybody is doing well. God bless 'em.