Mother of Five Gives Birth to Quadruplets, Family Seeks Help

Mother of Five Gives Birth to Quadruplets, Family Seeks Help

A 40-year-old housewife, Mrs. Mufiat Olateju, has delivered a set of quadruplets at the Federal Medical Centre Abeokuta in Ogun State, as her family appeals for assistance to care for the newborns.

Olateju, who already has five children, gave birth to the four babies on Wednesday. Speaking with journalists at the hospital on Thursday, she appealed to the state government and well-meaning Nigerians for financial support, saying the family had not yet settled the hospital bills.

The mother explained that the arrival of the quadruplets came as a surprise because earlier medical scans had not indicated that she was carrying four babies.

“I have given birth to five children before. Initially, when we had a scan, it did not show quadruplets, so we did not prepare for it,” she said. “According to the first scan, we were expecting just one baby, but later scans showed two.”

She said the unexpected development had left the family overwhelmed and in need of urgent support.

“Please, I need the help of the government and good people because I do not know where to start. I am 40 years old and I want the government to help take care of these four children,” she added.

Her husband, Oluwaseun Olateju, also called for assistance, noting that raising the quadruplets alongside their other children would place enormous pressure on the family.

“I am the husband of the woman who gave birth to four children here at FMC,” he said. “I come from Atan in Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State. I want the government to please come to my aid because I cannot do it alone.”

He admitted that the sudden responsibility initially left him shaken.

“At one point, I even thought of running away, but I later changed my mind because I believe everything will be fine,” he said.

A consultant gynaecologist at the hospital, Dr. Taofeek Ogunfunmilayo, who supervised the delivery, explained that the babies were delivered at 32 weeks through surgery.

According to him, the woman was an unbooked patient who had not registered for antenatal care at the hospital and was referred to the facility while already in labour.

“The patient is what we call an unbooked patient. She did not register with us for antenatal care and was only referred to us when she was already in labour,” he said.

Ogunfunmilayo noted that doctors initially believed the woman was carrying triplets, but four babies were delivered during the procedure.

He added that the mother is in stable condition and responding well after the delivery, while the newborns are receiving specialised care in the hospital’s nursery unit due to their premature birth.

“The mother is stable and there is nothing wrong with her. However, because the babies were delivered at 32 weeks, they are premature and have been admitted to the nursery unit where they are receiving specialised care,” he said.

The doctor further disclosed that two of the babies were responding well to treatment, while the other two required closer monitoring due to their fragile condition.