Doctors in Morocco are celebrating a global first: A set of nonuplets were safely delivered in May 2021. The nine babies were born at 30 weeks and are reportedly doing well, as is their mother.
Dr. Youssef Alaoui welcomed 25-year-old Halima Cissé to his Casablanca Ain Borja Clinic for the birth of her babies after doctors in Mali advised Cissé to seek more advanced maternal care due to the truly unique nature of her pregnancy.
The entire team and Cissé herself were surprised when nine babies were born, as she believed she was carrying seven. Cissé suffered heavy bleeding following the cesarean delivery, but her condition has since stabilized.
As far as anyone knows, Cissé did not use any fertility treatments when she conceived her nine children. Once verified, she will hold the world record for the most babies delivered at birth. The record was previously held by Nadya Suleman, who delivered eight babies in 2009.
Dr. Alaoui recently spoke to the Today show about the remarkable nature of the birth: "At the Casablanca Ain Borja Clinic, we’ve seen all sorts of complicated medical situations, but I have to say that the birth of nonuplets … that’s a first for us. It’s a first for the whole world, and we’re proud to have had this extraordinary experience thanks to our medical and technical expertise."
Cissé's medical team included 10 doctors and 25 paramedics. Dr. Alaoui said nothing would have been possible without each person involved: "We were a team of three resuscitators, three anesthesiologists, two gynecologists, three neonatologists, (and a) catheterizer, not to mention the midwives and our extraordinary team of midwives and neonatal paramedics without whom nothing would have been possible."
The team was also able to help keep Cissé pregnant longer, which benefits the babies.
"Ms. Cissé was 25 weeks pregnant when she was admitted to our clinic," the doctor said, "and our team was able to extend her pregnancy up to 30 weeks."
The team was blown away when they discovered nine babies, as scans had indicated there were fewer.
"The glimpse we got from the ultrasound made it seem like there were only seven," he said, "so you can imagine our surprise when we discovered nine of them during the birth."
However, they were more than ready for the job.
"Luckily this didn’t faze us, since we have one of the largest neonatal resuscitation services in Morocco," Dr. Alaoui explained. "Our teams were ready to welcome these children into the world and able to treat them in the best conditions."
Cissé is now mom to five girls and four boys, who weighed between 1.1 lbs. and 2.2 lbs. when they were born. In the 1970s, two cases of nonuplets were recorded, but all the babies died within days of birth. Cissé's children have much better odds.
Dr. Alaoui said, "The mother is very healthy. She is no longer in danger and we wish her and her babies a speedy recovery. We’re still monitoring some of the babies who are still quite fragile. God willing, I think the family will be able to return to Mali in a few weeks."
