Juja Woman Loses Four Babies After Giving Birth to Quintuplets

A 28-year-old woman from Juja has lost four of her five babies after giving birth to quintuplets at Thika Level Five Hospital.

Mercy Kanini delivered the five babies naturally on Sunday, 13 September, after going into labour at just under 26 weeks of pregnancy. The delivery took place less than 15 minutes after doctors determined that labour had progressed too quickly for the planned Caesarean section.

Kanini was initially examined at Mary Help of the Sick Mission Hospital before being referred to Thika Level Five Hospital for specialised care. She delivered one boy and four girls between 10.45am and 10.56am.

The babies weighed between 600 and 800 grams and were considered extremely premature. After being stabilised, they were transferred later that night to Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH), where they were placed under specialised neonatal care.

Two of the girls died within hours of arriving at KNH, while the other two died two days later from complications associated with underdeveloped lungs. KNH Director of Clinical Services Dr Joel Lessan confirmed that the male infant survived.

Kanini, who has two older children, remains in stable condition. She and her husband are now caring for their surviving son following the deaths of the other four infants.

Multiple pregnancies carry a higher risk of complications, particularly when they result in premature delivery. Medical experts stress the importance of regular antenatal care to identify complications early and improve outcomes for mothers and babies.