DIONNE QUINTUPLETS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22431, 29 May 1936, Page 12

DIONNE QUINTUPLETS

h TWO YEARS OLD The world's most famous babies, the Dionne /quintuplets, celebrated their second birthday yesterday. The medical profession was amazed to learn that five baby girls, born to Mr. Oliva Dionne, a poor French - Canadian farmer, and Mrs. Dionne, in tho country district of Callandar, Ontario, had survived. Statistics show that quintuplets occur once in 57,000,000 births, and only 33 cases have been recorded in the past 500 years. The Dionne children are the first in medical his r torv to survive. There were already five children in the Dionne family when the quintuplets were born. The heaviest of the tiny babies weighed only 31b. 4oz. at birth, and the smallest was a pound lighter. Under the care of Dr. A. 11. Dafoe, the doctor who attended them at birth and who has had them in his care ever since, they made rapid profress, however, and when their first irthday was celebrated a year ago they WQre not a great deal smaller than normal children. To prevent exploitation and to ensure their welfaro, the children were made wards of

the State, and n special hospital was built for them near their home. Mr. I)ionne was made one of four guardians, but tho parents have never ceased to protest against the position, . tpade repeated appeals to bo given solo caro of the children.