It’s time for Rabbit Holes Shorts!

Nonuplets!

Hamila Case, a twenty-six-year-old mother from Mali, gave birth in May to nine babies. She was transferred to the Casablanca Ain Borja Clinic in Morocco at 25 weeks gestation and delivered at 30 weeks with the support of a medical team headed by Dr Youseff Alaoui.

Her husband remained in Mali to care for their older daughter. Based on ultrasounds her doctors believed she was having seven babies but were surprised by two more at the delivery of five girls and four boys, which were doing well as of late July.

This is the third birth of nonuplets since the 1970s but the first in which the babies lived beyond a few days. The previous world record was Natalie Nadya Sulemon of California with eight babies, who controversially used fertility treatments to achieve octuplets. In Hamila’s case, her doctor claims he is not aware of her having fertility treatments, however, he is treating this case like an advertisement for his hospital’s capabilities while others are encouraging more support for Mali’s medical infrastructure.

Sources

Ahmed, Baba and Tarik El Barakah. 5 May 2021. “Woman from Mali gives birth to 9 babies in Morocco.” AP.

Chappell, Bill. 6 May 2021. “Nonuplets: Woman From Mali Gives Birth To 9 Babies.” NPR.

Guenfoud, Ibtissem. 30 July 2021. “Mom speaks out about giving birth to 9 babies.” ABC News.

Hanson, Kait. 30 July 2021. “Exclusive: Moroccan doctor who delivered first-ever living nonuplets speaks out.” Today.

Staff. 6 May 2021. “Malian woman gives birth to nine babies.” BBC.

Staff. 26 Jan 2009. “Octuplets born in Bellflower [UPDATED].” LA Times.

Times Machine Articles:

June 13 1971. “Australian Woman Gives Birth to Nine, Seven of Them Alive.”

June 14, 1971. “4 Still Survive in Birth of 9.”

June 20, 1971. “Last of the Nonuplets Dies at Sydney Hospital.”

May 30, 1972. “9 Dead Fetuses Delivered.”

And according to Wikipedia and various sources, a set of nonuplets were born on 26 March 1999, in Malaysia to Zurina Mat Saad, two were still born and the rest died soon after the birth. I cannot find primary sources for this.