SEXTUPLET BIRTHS 50-50 Chance For Survivors

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31801, 4 October 1968, Page 11

SEXTUPLET BIRTHS 50-50 Chance For Survivors

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) BIRMINGHAM (England), Oct. 3. The five surviving sextuplets born in Birmingham yesterday have been given a 50-50 chance of living.

A hospital bulletin last night said that the mother, Mrs Sheila Ann Thorns, was progressing well and the babies’ condition was “extremely frail but fairly satisfactory.”

The babies, four girls and two boys, were delivered by a Caesarean operation. One of the girls—the last born—died an hour later. Mrs Thorns—whose thirtieth birthday was yesterdayhad been taking fertility drugs in an attempt to end a 10-year wait for a family. Mr Thorns, aged 33, knew in August that his wife would have sextuplets. “My wife and I are overjoyed ... we do not mind having so many children,” he said.

The babies were two months premature and weighed between 21b and 31b each. Their names are lan, Roger, Lynne, Julie, and Susan. After her confinement she said: "If I get just one or two alive out of this I shall be happy.”

Dr Peter Huntingford, a professor of obstetrics and gynaecology, said more sextuple! births could result from the use of the fertility drug.

He said the drug had to be delicately balanced, and given under hospital supervision. Multiple births could result from an overdose or from lack of experience of medical staff.

The sextuplet birth is believed to be Britain’s first. The chance of such a birth has been calculated at one in 3,272,800,000 or once in every generation at the present size of the world’s population.