A mother of five from Ogun State has given birth to quadruplets at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) in Abeokuta and is seeking financial support from the government and charitable Nigerians.
Mufiat Olateju, a 40-year-old woman, welcomed the four babies on Wednesday. In an interview with journalists shortly after her delivery, she stated that the unexpected arrival of the quadruplets has imposed a heavy financial burden on her family. Olateju explained that they were caught off guard, as earlier medical scans during her pregnancy did not indicate that she was carrying four babies.
“I have given birth to five children before. Initially, when we had a scan, it did not show quadruplets, so we did not prepare for it,” she said. According to her, the first ultrasound suggested she was expecting just one baby, while a later scan indicated two. Only during delivery did the doctors discover that she was actually carrying four children.
The 40-year-old mother mentioned that her family is currently overwhelmed by the responsibility of caring for the newborns in addition to their five other children. “Please, I need the help of the government and kind-hearted people because I do not know where to start,” she expressed, adding that the family has not yet settled their hospital bills.
Her husband, Oluwaseun Olateju, who hails from Atan in the Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State, also appealed for assistance, stressing that they will struggle to care for the children without support. “I am the husband of the woman who gave birth to four children here at FMC,” he said. “I want the government to please come to my aid because I cannot do it alone. It is beyond my power.”
Oluwaseun admitted that the sudden responsibility initially left him feeling overwhelmed. However, he expressed hope that help will come. “At one point, I even thought of running away, but I later changed my mind because I believe everything will be fine,” he added.
Dr. Taofeek Ogunfunmilayo, a consultant gynecologist at the hospital who supervised the delivery, noted that the babies were born prematurely at 32 weeks and are currently receiving specialized care in the hospital's nursery unit. He explained that the mother was not registered for antenatal care at the facility and was referred to the hospital while already in labor.
“The patient is what we call an unbooked patient. She did not register with us for antenatal care and was only referred here after she started labor,” the doctor remarked. Ogunfunmilayo stated that doctors initially believed Olateju was carrying triplets, but ultimately four babies were successfully delivered during the surgical procedure. He confirmed that the mother is in stable condition and responding well to treatment following the delivery.
However, as the babies were born prematurely, they are being closely monitored by medical personnel in the Special Care Baby Unit. According to the doctor, two of the babies are responding well to treatment, while the other two require more intensive medical attention due to their fragile condition.
Consequently, the family is calling on the government, organizations, and members of the public to support them in caring for the newborns and meeting their medical and living expenses.
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