Homa Bay woman loses quintuplets at Kisii hospital

The quintuplets who were born at Matata Nursing Home in Oyugis town on Sunday morning are no more.

Two— a boy and a girl— died immediately after birth while three — two boys and a girl— died at the Kisii Teaching and Referral Hospital, where they had been taken for care, on Tuesday morning.

33 WEEKS

Of the last three, one died on Sunday night at 11pm while the other two died at 6am on Tuesday.

They had been incubated at the Kisii hospital because they were born prematurely — at 33 instead of the normal 40 weeks.

Their mother Jacinta Ochieng, 30, is still admitted to the hospital.

Health officials at the Kisii hospital said the babies suffered pneumonia and other birth- related complications before their arrival at the facility.

Hospital Matron Florence Ogero said the deaths were caused by “disseminated cardiovascular collapse”— complications related to the heart and blood vessels.

She said Ms Ochieng' might had skipped antenatal visits due to her poor background.

1.5KG

Ms Ochieng', a casual labourer, is married to Mr Josephat Okumu, a cane cutter at Sukary Industry Ltd in Ndhiwa.

While describing the deaths as “God's plan, which I could do nothing to control”, Ms Ogero added that the infants were underweight.

At birth, the children weighed 1.5 kilogrammes instead of 3.5, which is required of a normal baby at birth.

A distraught Ms Ochieng' said she would take time to come to terms with her loss.

"We still thank God in all this. We leave all this to Him," she told the Nation at the hospital.

It was not immediately clear whether the bodies would transported for burial at Mr Okumu's Kachieng’ Bongu Village home in Rachuonyo, Homa Bay County.