What are sextuplets?
Sextuplets refers to giving birth to six babies from a single pregnancy. This occurs when a woman’s ovaries release six eggs which are all fertilized at the same time. The chances of this happening naturally are extremely rare. Only a handful of women have given birth to sextuplets without fertility treatments.
How common are sextuplets?
Sextuplets are exceptionally rare. The odds of conceiving sextuplets naturally are estimated to be about 1 in 4.7 billion. That’s less likely than being struck by lightning twice in your lifetime!
Only a few sets of confirmed sextuplets have ever been recorded worldwide. The first reported case was the Dilley Sextuplets born in Australia in the 1970s. Since then, there have been a few more cases, but the total number remains in the single digits. The most famous sextuplets are the Gosselin Sextuplets born in 2004. However, they were conceived through fertility treatments, not naturally.
To put the rarity into perspective, twins occur in about 1 of 250 pregnancies, triplets in 1 of 8,100, and quadruplets in 1 of 729,000. Sextuplets are magnitudes rarer. Essentially, a woman has practically no chance of conceiving six babies without assisted reproductive technology.
Why are natural sextuplets so rare?
There are a few key reasons why sextuplets almost never happen naturally:
- A woman normally releases just one egg per menstrual cycle. Sometimes two or three eggs may be released, resulting in fraternal twins or triplets. But releasing six eggs is exceptionally anomalous.
- Even when multiple eggs are released, they may not all get fertilized. The more eggs, the less likely they all get fertilized.
- Even if six eggs do get fertilized, it’s unlikely all six embryos would implant and develop normally in the womb due to limited space and nutrients.
- Higher-order multiple pregnancies have greater risks and complications. The maternal body is not designed to handle so many babies at once.
For all these reasons, conceiving sextuplets without fertility assistance is biologically extremely improbable.
Historical cases of natural sextuplets
There have only been a few documented cases of sextuplets conceived without fertility drugs or treatments. These include:
The Rosenkowitz Sextuplets
In 1973, a 47-year-old woman named Valerie Rosenkowitz gave birth to sextuplets in Cape Town, South Africa. This was the first recorded case of surviving sextuplets. Tragically, none of the babies lived past their first week.
The Dilley Sextuplets
On July 8, 1975, Jill and Graham Dilley of Australia gave birth to the first surviving sextuplets – three boys and three girls. They were born 15 weeks prematurely via C-section. After spending 5 months in the hospital, the babies were discharged and continued to grow up healthy.
The McCaughey Septuplets
In 1997, Bobbi and Kenny McCaughey of Iowa gave birth to the world’s first surviving septuplets (seven babies) without fertility drugs – four boys and three girls. The babies were born nine weeks prematurely and despite the odds, all survived and grew up healthy.
Other Cases
A few other alleged cases of natural sextuplets have been reported but not well documented enough to confirm, including:
– In March 1971, a woman in Malaysia reportedly gave birth to sextuplets but none survived.
– In 1974, a woman in Mexico City claimed to have birthed sextuplets but there are very few records verifying this birth.
– In 1984, some sources state a woman in Chile gave birth to sextuplets, but the multiple babies were never officially registered.
So while stories of additional sextuplet births exist, the confirmed cases remain extremely rare and extraordinary.
Birth stories of the Dilley and McCaughey sextuplets/septuplets
The Dilleys
When Jill Dilley found out she was pregnant in 1974 at age 27, she had no idea she was carrying multiple babies. Ultrasounds were not common practice at the time. Her doctor detected two heartbeats and believed she was carrying twins. It was not until she had to undergo an emergency cesarean section at 29 weeks that the full extent of the multiple pregnancy was uncovered.
On July 8, 1975, 47 medical professionals gathered at the Women’s Hospital in Sydney, Australia, to deliver the six surprise babies – three boys and three girls. The babies were born within five minutes, each weighing between 620g to 1030g (1 lb 6 oz to 2 lb 6 oz). They were immediately rushed to the neonatal intensive care unit.
The sextuplets were named Adam, Ashley, Brittany, Chloe, Daniel, and Eve. After five months in the hospital, they were finally well enough to go home. They continued to grow and hit developmental milestones against the odds. The Dilley Sextuplets enjoyed international attention and fan mail for being the first surviving sextuplets.
The McCaugheys
Bobbi and Kenny McCaughey of Iowa were eager to expand their family in 1997. After having a daughter and twin boys through fertility treatments, Bobbi again underwent drug therapy to become pregnant. This time, they decided to try just once more before stopping treatments. When Bobbi learned she was expecting, she assumed it was twins or maybe triplets.
On November 19, 1997, Bobbi underwent a C-section delivery performed by a 40-person medical team. To the shock of everyone, seven babies emerged – four boys and three girls. The McCaughey septuplets – Kenny Jr, Alexis, Natalie, Kelsey, Nathan, Brandon, and Joel – made headlines around the world for being the first set of septuplets all to survive infancy.
The babies were born nine weeks early, weighing between 2lbs 1oz to 3lbs 4oz. Like the Dilleys, they too spent several months in the NICU before finally going home. Despite the lowest odds ever beaten, all seven continued to grow into healthy, thriving individuals.
Other cases of high order multiple births
While sextuplets and septuplets are extraordinarily rare, births involving four, five, or more multiples do occasionally happen thanks to fertility treatments. Some of the notable high order multiple births include:
Famous Quadruplet Births
- The Brown Quadruplets – Born in 1997 to Bobbi and Kenny McCaughey, a couple years before their septuplets
- The Chukwu Octuplets – Born in 1998 in Texas, with only one survivor
- The Schoolcraft Quadruplets – Born in 2001 to Mia Schoolcraft after fertility drugs
Famous Quintuplet Births
- The Dionne Quintuplets – Born in 1934, the first known surviving quintuplets
- The Jones Quintuplets – Born in 1957, the first quintuplets conceived naturally
- The Gosselin Sextuplets – Born in 2004 to Kate and John Gosselin after fertility treatments
While multiples greater than quadruplets almost always result from fertility assistance, the possibility remains for everything up through octuplets or more to be conceived naturally, even if the probability is infinitesimally small.
Pros and cons of high order multiple births
Here is a comparison of some of the key pros and cons that families face when welcoming extremely high order multiples:
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Bringing many children into the world at once | Higher health risks for babies and mother |
| Siblings the exact same age; built-in playmates | Much more demanding than a singleton pregnancy |
| Joy of large family all at once | Challenge of meeting many babies’ needs simultaneously |
| Seeing multiples defy slim odds by surviving and thriving | Higher risks of disabilities or impairments |
| Fascination and attention surrounding extraordinarily rare births | Loss of privacy from media attention |
| Extra donations and support from the public | Greater expenses of large families |
Risks of Sextuplet pregnancies
While any higher-order multiple pregnancy comes with risks, carrying sextuplets multiplies the concerns and dangers for both the mother and babies, including:
Risks to Mother
- Pre-eclampsia or dangerously high blood pressure
- Placenta previa due to crowding in the womb
- Gestational diabetes due to placental hormones
- Excessive nausea/vomiting due to high hCG levels
- Anemia from supporting multiple babies
- Excess amniotic fluid (polyhydramnios)
- Pre-term labor and early delivery
Risks to Babies
- Higher chance of birth defects
- Growth restriction and low birth weight
- Respiratory distress from premature lungs
- Feeding difficulties and jaundice
- Infections like sepsis and meningitis
- Cerebral palsy or learning disabilities
- Higher infant mortality rates
The more babies present, the more serious complications become. That’s why most doctors discourage any multiple pregnancy higher than twins or triplets. However, determined parents sometimes pursue high-risk multiple pregnancies despite the odds.
Chances of natural conception of sextuplets
So just how unlikely is it to naturally conceive sextuplets? Let’s crunch the numbers:
- Average rate of twin pregnancies: 1 in 250 births
- Naturally conceived twins: 1 in 67 twin pregnancies
- Naturally conceived triplets: 1 in 6,944 births
- Naturally conceived quadruplets: 1 in 729,000 births
- Naturally conceived quintuplets: 1 in 57.3 million births
- **Naturally conceived sextuplets: 1 in 4.7 billion births**
As the data shows, sextuplets without fertility assistance are extraordinarily improbable – less likely than being struck by lightning twice! While a woman can naturally release many eggs, and they can randomly all get fertilized, the chances of this lining up precisely are less than winning massive lotteries.
Chances by maternal age
A woman’s chances of naturally conceiving multiples also increases with age as ovulation becomes less regular. However, age has minimal impact on the odds of extremely high order multiples like sextuplets. Here are the chances of conceiving natural twins based on the mother’s age:
| Age | Chance of Twins |
|---|---|
| 20-24 | 1 in 143 |
| 25-29 | 1 in 125 |
| 30-34 | 1 in 100 |
| 35-39 | 1 in 65 |
| 40-44 | 1 in 35 |
| 45-49 | 1 in 17 |
However, the impacts of age taper off when considering triplets or more. While sextuplets at 35 might be marginally more likely than at 20, the odds are still basically zero in both cases without reproductive assistance.
Should women intentionally get pregnant with sextuplets?
Given the astronomical odds and severe risks involved, most experts strongly warn against intentionally trying to conceive extremely high order multiples like sextuplets. The hazards and complications usually outweigh any potential benefits.
That said, a minority of women still actively pursue large broods through natural methods or hyperovulation drugs:
Reasons some may seek sextuplets
- Wanting a very large family all at once
- Hoping for lucrative media deals after birth
- Craving the attention of an extremely rare birth
- Simply beating the odds and making history
Reasons most avoid sextuplet births
- Low survival rates and high NICU time
- Much higher risks for babies and mother
- Enormous pregnancy challenges carrying multiples
- Difficulty meeting needs of many newborns
- Hugely expensive with no guarantee of donations
- Permanent physical damage from delivery strains
While women have the right to pursue risky multiple pregnancies, most doctors encourage patients to think through the hazards and hardships before attempting to conceive litters. Counseling and strict monitoring are recommended.
Conclusion
In conclusion, naturally conceiving sextuplets without fertility assistance is exceedingly rare – only a handful of documented cases exist worldwide. The odds are less than 1 in 4 billion due to the multiple necessary biological coincidences. While multiple higher-order births up through octuplets have occurred with medical help, natural sextuplets remain extraordinarily improbable.
Women drawn to experience extremely rare sextuplet births despite the low odds and severe risks are recommended to pursue thorough medical guidance and counsel. However, most experts strongly advise against intentionally attempting such unsafe high-order multiple pregnancies given the dangers and difficulties involved. For nearly all families, twins or at most triplets present plenty of blessings and challenges enough.