Bilal, the smallest of quintuplets born at just 23 weeks, is finally heading home. He was born weighing 8 ounces, which is equivalent to a small cup of yogurt.
His mother, Hawa Mohamed, was rewarded with not one, but five babies after several heartbreaks. The five babies were delivered at the Mother Baby Center, a collaboration between Allina Health and Children’s Minnesota.
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Born at 23 weeks, the survival of Bilal and his siblings was iffy from the outset. Speaking in Somali, Mohamed told WCCO that while she didn’t think Bilal would live, she was optimistic that the people caring for him were doing everything they could.
She is now bringing the last child home exactly one year after giving birth to quintuplets.
“All praise to god,” Mohamed said. “I’m very happy today because my children and I are healthy and going home.”
Bilal’s situation, however, was noteworthy to the Children’s Minnesota staff.
All five had an around 10% chance of survival, according to Dr. Thomas George, the medical director for neonatology.
“Eight ounces would make Bilal the second smallest baby in the world described in the tiniest babies registry,” George observed.
Records from the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital show that the only child ever born weighing less was a girl born in 2020 in Singapore, who weighed about 7.5 ounces at birth.
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Bilal had to get 24-hour care to support his weight gain and breathing because his journey to survival was not an easy one.
Because of the life-saving skills of the neonatology staff at Children’s Minnesota, one of the biggest neonatology programs in the nation, all five siblings not only survived but are expected to grow and develop properly.
They were able to celebrate their amazing journey and birthday thanks to the team which helped the babies overcome the odds.
These are the first quintuplets that Children’s Minnesota’s neonatal team has cared for in over a decade.
