Woman in Kilimanjaro delivers rare quadruplets after being told she had triplets, pleads for support

Moshi. A resident of Newland TPC in Kilimanjaro Region, Ms Rachael Simba (28), has given birth to four premature babies at the Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre (KCMC) in what medics describe as a rare clinical case.

Ms Simba delivered the babies through the caesarean section on Wednesday, April 22, 2026.

She said she did not expect to have four children at once, as she had initially been told she was carrying triplets.

Speaking to The Citizen's sister newspaper, Mwananchi on Friday, April 24, 2026, at the hospital, Ms Simba said the babies are in good condition under special care in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) due to their low birth weight.

The mother, who also has a two-and-a-half-year-old son, said her pregnancy began in September 2025 and was marked by challenges, including being advised to rest from the third month.

She said she was told she was carrying twins at six months, later confirmed as triplets, before the situation changed on the day of delivery.

“That day I went to the clinic with no signs of labour, but later I suddenly felt pain and was taken to theatre. That is when doctors discovered I had four babies,” she said.

Ms said she was shocked but thankful that she and all her babies survived safely.

Due to the complexity of the pregnancy, she was unable to carry out normal activities, including walking and standing without assistance.

She has appealed for public support to meet medical costs, including oxygen, lung maturity drugs, milk and tests, noting that the babies may remain hospitalised for over a month.

“The costs are very high and we are told we may stay here for more than a month depending on their progress,” she said.

Ms Simba now has five children in total, including her first-born, while the newborns include one boy and three girls.

KCMC obstetrician and gynaecologist, Dr Gedion Edward, said the mother was admitted on Wednesday, April 22, 2026 at 31 weeks and two days of pregnancy after presenting with mild abdominal pain.

He said initial tests, including blood, urine and ultrasound scans, showed she was carrying more than two babies, a rare condition in natural conception.

“Further examination showed high-risk indicators, so she was admitted for close monitoring before surgery,” he said.

Dr Edward said the hospital records about one or two cases annually of mothers delivering more than three babies, while most give birth to single babies or twins.

He said medically, the chance of a woman carrying quadruplets is estimated at one in 6,000.

He added that such pregnancies may result from multiple egg fertilisation or a single fertilised egg splitting.

The babies were born with different developmental conditions, with two sharing one sac and the others in separate sacs.

He said two baby girls sharing one sac each weighed one kilogramme, while the baby boy weighed 1.6 kilogrammes and the other girl 1.3 kilogrammes.

Nurse Secilia Jonathan, who was on duty at the maternity ward on April 22, 2026, said she received the mother already in pain and under observation.

She said she was initially believed to be carrying more than twins and was in significant pain.

Ms Jonathan said she had reached 31 weeks and two days and was administered drugs to help mature the babies’ lungs.

“She had already started labour, and on examination the cervix was three centimetres dilated. We informed the doctor because at our zonal hospital, mothers with more than twins are delivered by caesarean section,” she said.

She said it was during preparation for surgery that it was discovered the mother was carrying four babies instead of three.

She advised pregnant women to attend clinic early within the first eight weeks to allow early detection of complications and timely care.