Kamal Ghorui
A rare and medically significant birth has been reported in St Petersburg, where a woman delivered four identical baby girls, marking the first such case officially recorded in Russia.The delivery, which took place at a maternity hospital in the city, has drawn attention due to its extreme rarity. Medical estimates suggest that monochorionic, or identical, quadruplets occur in around one in 15.5 million births. Globally, only about 15 such cases have been documented.All four babies were born at 32 weeks of pregnancy and are reported to be in stable condition. Their birth weights ranged between 1,360g and 1,640g, and their lengths were between 37cm and 41cm. Doctors described these figures as strong for babies born at this stage.In a statement shared by the hospital on Russia’s social media platform VKontakte, the team said, “Four charming sisters were born at 32 weeks. According to estimates, monochorionic (identical) quadruplets occur once in 15.5 million births. Such unique births have not been reported in the country.”What makes the case particularly complex is that all four babies developed from a single fertilised egg and shared one placenta, a condition known as a monochorionic pregnancy. In most multiple pregnancies, each baby has a separate placenta. Doctors note that such cases carry higher risks and require continuous monitoring.The hospital added, “For a 32-week pregnancy, this is an excellent result, made possible by the mother’s proper management in the antenatal department and the expertise of the doctors.”The delivery required the coordinated effort of a large medical team, including obstetricians, anaesthesiologists, intensive care specialists, midwives, and neonatal experts. Each baby was immediately attended to by neonatologists and specialised nurses to ensure proper care from the first moments after birth.According to the hospital, the procedure was led by chief physician Professor Anton Mikhailov, along with a team of specialists from the prenatal department and obstetrics unit. The operation was described as highly complex, requiring precision and teamwork throughout.Doctors explained that identical, or monozygotic, pregnancies occur when a single fertilised egg splits into multiple embryos, resulting in babies with identical genetic makeup and the same sex. There is no known way to predict or prevent such occurrences.The case is now being seen as a milestone in Russian medical practice, highlighting both the rarity of the event and the level of care required to manage such a high-risk pregnancy successfully.
