Quintuplets Born At Jersey City Hospital Beat The Odds (PHOTOS)

JERSEY CITY, NJ — Giving birth to quintuplets is like winning a mega millions lottery. The odds are slim and the press coverage is large.

In 2017, there were only 49 sets of quintuplets or higher order births born in the United States. But on a recent Sunday at the Jersey City Medical Center, a team of more than 50 health experts helped intrepid mom, Abla Boutaba, and dad, Salim Mostefaoui, welcome five newborns into their suddenly large family.

The three girls, Nouha, Tala and Rouba, and two boys, Elmahdi and Elhadi, were born on Jan. 6. Each are doing “phenomenally” and continue to receive care in Jersey City, hospital staff announced Friday.

The hospital’s first-ever quintuplet delivery was even more remarkable considering the expectant mother’s medical history, administrators said:

“In the weeks leading up to the births, Boutaba was admitted early on two separate occasions for cardiac issues. Knowing the risks associated with pregnancies of multiples and with Boutaba’s existing cardiac condition, at approximately 18 weeks, Jersey City Medical Center created a multidisciplinary team of obstetricians, anesthesiologists, neonatologists, nursing staff, respiratory therapists, and cardiologists to plan for the delivery.”

With 10 experts assigned for each baby, doctors safely delivered all five babies via Caesarean section.

“Our team met weekly to organize, practice and simulate drills for a smooth and safe delivery of all five babies,” said Lance Bruck, vice president and chairman of the department of obstetrics and gynecology at Jersey City Medical Center.

“The safety of mom and baby [was] our highest priority,” Bruck said. “Welcoming a new child is one of the most important experiences in life.”

Quintuplets and higher order pregnancies do not generally reach the full term of 40 weeks. For quintuplets, generally the average term for delivery is about 28 weeks, administrators said.

Boutaba delivered at only 27 and a half weeks, administrators said.

“They are doing beyond well, all five of them,” Bruck said of the newborns. “They are all breathing on their own and with birth weights that ranged from a little over 600 grams to a little over 1,000 grams, I would say they’re doing phenomenally.”

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Photos: Jersey City Medical Center/RWJBarnabas Health