Medical experts have explained the detailed planning and care that went into the delivery of New Zealand's first quadruplets in over two decades at Christchurch Women’s Hospital.
The babies were born at the hospital's maternity unit to Timaru couple Kendall and Joshua MacDonald in August.
The three girls and one boy were delivered via caesarean section at 28 weeks and four days gestation and were resident in Christchurch Women’s Hospital's neonatal unit until they were able to go home earlier this month.
While the hospital has seen an increased number of multiple births in recent times, quadruplets are extremely rare.
Consultant Obstetrician Lisa Rofe, who was on call at the time, says planning for the delivery began several weeks in advance and involved teams from fetal medicine, neonatal, midwifery and anaesthetics.
For the delivery of the quadruplets, two adjacent birthing theatres were used with specialist teams designated to each baby.
Dr Rofe says it was an extremely organised delivery, and one with an especially joyous and exciting atmosphere.
"For our medical, nursing and midwifery teams present it was most definitely a once-in-a-career event, and a real privilege to be a part of. To have such a good outcome for mother and babies was a huge relief, due in part to the full team involved in pre-planning," she said.
The obstetrician who delivered the four babies, and does not wish to be named, agreed that the birth "went exactly to plan", right down to the double labelling of the clamps used to cut the umbilical cords, to ensure there were no mix-ups.
The medical experts say the risks involved with a multiple birth pregnancy include miscarriage, extreme prematurity and growth issues, while the mother must be monitored frequently for signs of anaemia and pre-eclampsia.
In this instance the quadruplets comprised one set of identical twin girls who shared the same placenta, and fraternal twins - a boy and girl.
They're named Quinn, Indie, Hudson and Molly and have a big brother Brooklyn, aged three.
The Canterbury District Health Board has congratulated the MacDonald family on their new arrivals, and says it wishes them all a healthy and happy future.
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