RACER X
08-18-2009, 01:34 PM
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,540023,00.html?test=latestnews
A woman is pregnant with a record-breaking 12 babies, the Sun reported Monday.
The teacher, who has not yet been named, is expecting six boys and six girls, according to reports. She conceived the babies following fertility treatments, after suffering a number of miscarriages.
Fertility experts confirmed the extraordinary pregnancy in Gafsa, Tunisia, was possible, but carried "colossal" risks.
"The woman could have been receiving ovulation induction treatment, which stimulates egg production. You don't have the same control as with IVF," said Dr. Mark Hamilton, of the British Fertility Society.
The woman, who will need constant medical monitoring, reportedly told doctors she was "feeling fine and looking forward to hugging her six boys and six girls."
"In the beginning, we thought that my wife would give birth to twins, but more fetuses were discovered," said the father, named in local reports only as Marwan. "Our joy increased with the growing number."
Marwan claimed his wife wanted to give birth naturally, but medical experts said this would be impossible.
Dr. Manny Alvarez, managing health editor of FOXNews.com, said it is possible for someone to be pregnant with 12 babies, and he has in fact seen a woman pregnant with nine babies. However, the likelihood of this woman carrying all 12 babies to term is very slim.
"When you get to a pregnancy with that many multiples, often some of them spontaneously die," Alvarez said. "Anything more than five babies becomes a very high-risk pregnancy."
If the woman does succeed in carrying a majority of the babies to term, Alvarez said she will need constant monitoring, and will more than likely need to be hospitilized.
"The rates of premature labor for multiples are astronomical," he added.
Nadya Suleman of Bellflower, Calif., currently holds the record for the longest-living octuplets in history.
Click here to read more on this story from The Sun
A woman is pregnant with a record-breaking 12 babies, the Sun reported Monday.
The teacher, who has not yet been named, is expecting six boys and six girls, according to reports. She conceived the babies following fertility treatments, after suffering a number of miscarriages.
Fertility experts confirmed the extraordinary pregnancy in Gafsa, Tunisia, was possible, but carried "colossal" risks.
"The woman could have been receiving ovulation induction treatment, which stimulates egg production. You don't have the same control as with IVF," said Dr. Mark Hamilton, of the British Fertility Society.
The woman, who will need constant medical monitoring, reportedly told doctors she was "feeling fine and looking forward to hugging her six boys and six girls."
"In the beginning, we thought that my wife would give birth to twins, but more fetuses were discovered," said the father, named in local reports only as Marwan. "Our joy increased with the growing number."
Marwan claimed his wife wanted to give birth naturally, but medical experts said this would be impossible.
Dr. Manny Alvarez, managing health editor of FOXNews.com, said it is possible for someone to be pregnant with 12 babies, and he has in fact seen a woman pregnant with nine babies. However, the likelihood of this woman carrying all 12 babies to term is very slim.
"When you get to a pregnancy with that many multiples, often some of them spontaneously die," Alvarez said. "Anything more than five babies becomes a very high-risk pregnancy."
If the woman does succeed in carrying a majority of the babies to term, Alvarez said she will need constant monitoring, and will more than likely need to be hospitilized.
"The rates of premature labor for multiples are astronomical," he added.
Nadya Suleman of Bellflower, Calif., currently holds the record for the longest-living octuplets in history.
Click here to read more on this story from The Sun