Korea celebrates birth of first naturally conceived quintuplets

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Korea celebrates birth of first naturally conceived quintuplets

Published: 23 Sep. 2024, 17:52 Updated: 23 Sep. 2024, 19:50

LEE SOO-JUNG
lee.soojung1@joongang.co.kr

Sonograms of quintuplets born last Friday in Seoul [SEOUL ST.MARY'S HOSPITAL]

The country’s first naturally conceived quintuplets, three boys and two girls, were born last week in Seoul.

A medical team from Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital said that the 30-year-old mother, Sagong Hye-ran, gave birth to five babies last Friday.

Previous quintuplet births in 1987 and 2021 were medical fertilization cases.

However, in this case, the mother naturally conceived the babies after receiving an injection of ovulation-inducing agents — without any artificial fertilization procedures.

Although the delivery date was scheduled for December, the medical professors urged an earlier delivery as the mother showed symptoms of pregnancy toxemia.

On Friday morning, the mother, in her 27th week of pregnancy, underwent a cesarean section, which was jointly performed by an obstetric professor, anesthesiologist, pediatric professor and delivery room nurses.

The first son, who weighed 969 grams (34 ounces), was delivered at 11:37 a.m. His younger brothers followed at 11:40 a.m. and 11:41 a.m., weighing 888 and 953 grams, respectively.

The fourth child, a daughter weighing 736 kilograms, was born at 11:42 a.m. The youngest daughter came into the world at 11:43 a.m. and weighed 781 grams.

The babies were sent to intensive care units for postnatal care.

Kim Joon-yeong, 31, father of the newborns, said the couple used to call the fetuses “PangPang Rangers,” a gestational nickname borrowed from the children’s television show “Power Rangers.”

He said the couple let only a few of their acquaintances know about the details of their pregnancy, including the number of conceived children, because they were worried about delivering the babies successfully.

Prof. Hong Su-been, the obstetric professor, said she was delighted that the quintuplets' delivery was successful. She said she used to dream about performing the C-section for the babies in her sleep.

Presidential gifts delivered to the family that welcomed quintuplets on Friday [PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE]

President Yoon Suk Yeol also took the opportunity to congratulate the births and shower the family with gifts.

On Friday, Yoon delivered his celebratory remarks to the “parents who had protected the newborns safely during the pregnancy and medical staff who helped the family welcome the babies through thorough preparedness and a complicated surgery” through a Facebook post.

On Sunday, You Hye-mi, senior presidential secretary for low birthrate issues, visited the hospital and gave the parents a presidential gift package.

“It is our joy that a universally rare set of quintuplets were born healthy in our country,” Yoon wrote in a congratulatory letter, promising his effort to create a happier future for the family.

The gift package included infant clothes in five colors — red, orange, yellow, green and blue — and naturally grown seaweed, a food the promotes postpartum recovery.

Jeong Hey-jeon, presidential spokesperson, said the gift signified the president's wishes for the “children’s well-being and happiness and the mother's swift recovery.”

The presidential office also offered other state benefits, including a 14 million-won ($10,478) voucher for child care products, 5 million won in financial assistance for medical expenses and caregiver assistance.

The Dongducheon city government said on Monday that it will provide the family with a 15 million won voucher. The voucher has monetary credits that can be spent locally.

The family is expected to receive over 170 million won in national and local assistance over the years of raising their children, including a monthly parenting stipend, according to a report from the JoongAng Ilbo on Monday.

A Dongducheon official said the birth was a "blessing of the city" and that the municipality would "diligently listen to the parents about difficulties in raising the quintuplets and provide support using financial and public resources."

You Hye-mi, senior presidential secretary for low birthrate issues, left, delivers a presidential gift to the father of quintuplet newborns on Sunday. [PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE]

BY RHEE ESHTER, KIM EUN-BIN, LEE SOO-JUNG [lee.soojung1@joongang.co.kr]