Worries over babies

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32633, 15 June 1971, Page 1

Worries over babies

(N.Z. Press Association— Copyright) SYDNEY, June 14. Doctors said tonight that the condition of three of the surviving Brodrick nonetuplets was giving cause for “grave concern.” A spokesman for the team of doctors at the Royal Hospital for Women, Sydney, where the nine babies were born to Mrs Geraldine Brodrick yesterday, said the condition of the first baby born, a girl, was “unchanged” late today.

He said that her two tiny sisters and brother were “still alive. But their conditions are giving doctors cause for grave concern,” he said. The spokesman issued the news on the four children in the hospital’s evening statement on their condition. Three of the nonetuplets died early today after experiencing breathing difficulties. Two others were stillborn. The condition of the firstborn girl has been unchanged since the first bulletin on the babies, which said she was “as well as can be expected” for a multiple birth infant.

Weights given The hospital spokesman said that she weighed 21b 2oz at birth. The other surviving babies weighed lib 2oz, lib 2oz and 12oz. The spokesman said that Mrs Brodrick had made an excellent recovery and was in no need of any special post-natal treatment. She would probably be able to leave the hospital at the same time as if it had been a single birth, he said. Flowers, telegrams and telephone calls of congratulation continued to pour into the hospital today from throughout Australia and the world. They have included messages from the Prime Minister (Mr McMahon) and the New South Wales State Premier (Mr Robin Askin). The Australian Minister of Social Services (Mr William Wentworth) said that in a message to Mrs Brodrick he would seek special Government financial aid for the family. Other offers Other offers included one by a Sydney travel agent, who promised the Brodricks a free, one-week holiday on Norfolk Island, a resort island 900 miles east of Sydney.

Doctors treating Mrs Brodrick said before the birth that she had been treated with a fertility drug, although for a reason other than infertility. They would give no other information about the treatment or the drug used. A Melbourne specialist in this field said today that the two fertility drugs at present in use in Australia were cloniphene citrate, taken orally, and gonadotrophin, administered by injection.