A mum has given birth to four identical baby boys in an extraordinary pregnancy believed to occur just once in every 15 million pregnancies.
María Tapia welcomed Mariano, Maximiliano, Emiliano and Tiago on Wednesday (21 October) after 34 weeks of pregnancy, with their parents now celebrating their arrival.
The newborns are reportedly stable, while María recovers in hospital following the birth, as reported by Need To Know.
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María, 38, and partner Jonatan Zapa travelled from Caucasia, Antioquia, to the Clínica del Prado in Medellín, Colombia, to receive specialist medical care during the final stages of the pregnancy.
The remarkable birth is considered exceptional because the four boys are believed to be genetically identical, having developed from a single fertilised egg which then split into four embryos.
A scientific review published in the Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics estimates that identical quadruplets occur in approximately one in every 10 million to 15 million spontaneous pregnancies.
Speaking to local media, Jonatan recalled how the couple reacted when they discovered they were expecting four children.
“Total silence, total silence at that moment. Yes, it was news that left us completely silent,” he said with a laugh.
“The oldest is Mariano and the youngest is Tiago,” he added proudly.
The four boys were born at around 2.40pm, with approximately a minute and a half between each of them, according to their father.
The babies remain under observation while receiving specialist medical care, with Jonatan saying they appeared to be responding well to treatment when he visited them during the night.
The family are now preparing for the challenges of raising four children at once, including the costs of nappies, formula milk, prams and their future education.
“The most important thing now is that we’ve brought them into the world. Now we have to think about that situation – there are four of them,” Jonatan said.
He added that María would become a full-time mum as they adapted to life with their four newborn sons.
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