17-year-old girl gives birth to quadruplets; one dies

ILOILO CITY , Philippines  — A 17-year-old girl gave birth to quadruplets Sunday at the Western Visayas Medical Center in this city.

Regievie Baes, a resident of Brgy. Lawaan, Roxas City, delivered her four boys via Caesarian section, all of whom however were born prematurely at 30 weeks and had to be placed in incubators..

The attending physicians said the first baby only weighed 1.081 kilograms, the second baby 0.928 kg., the third 1.015 kg, and the fourth 0.995 kg.

Reports said all four babies were diagnosed with hyaline membrane disease or infant respiratory distress syndrome (IRDS), which is also called neonatal respiratory distress syndrome or respiratory distress syndrome, which afflicts premature newborns due to developmental insufficiency of surfactant production and structural immaturity in the lungs.

Among the quadruplets, the third baby was in critical condition. He was diagnosed with hyaline membrane disease stage 4, meaning he must be aided with a breathing apparatus. By 2 p.m. last Monday, the boy died.

Physicians are highly optimistic that the remaining babies could survive provided that they remain under observation in the hospital and receive proper medication.

It was Baes' first pregnancy, but her family has a history of twins. She was a high school undergraduate, and not married to the quadruplets' father, 18-year-old Jomard Castro who works as a tricycle driver.

Castro said they first thought that Baes would just deliver triplets based on the ultrasound result from a hospital in Roxas City, but they were surprised when a fourth baby came out.

After the three babies came out, Baes said that the doctors injected anaesthesia to her for the delivery of the fourth baby.

Despite the happiness of the new addition to the family, the young parents were at a loss where to get money to support Baes' and the children's hospitalization and medication. The couple has no plans of adding more children to the family.