Mercy Kanini at Thika Level Five Hospital where she gave birth to quintuplets.
The Kiambu family that welcomed quintuplets has suffered another devastating loss following the death of the fifth and last surviving baby at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH).
KNH announced on Wednesday that all five newborns, who were transferred to the hospital from Thika Level Five Hospital for specialised neonatal care, had died.
The babies were born extremely prematurely at about 25 weeks and had critically low birth weights, according to a statement issued by KNH acting Chief Executive Officer Dr Joel Lassan.
“Despite the dedicated efforts of our medical teams and the specialised care provided, all five newborns sadly passed away,” Lassan said.
The hospital said its multidisciplinary neonatal team, comprising neonatologists, nurses and allied health professionals, provided specialised care and made every effort to support the babies.
The deaths come two days after the quintuplets were transferred to KNH following their delivery at Thika Level Five Hospital on September 13.
The babies, four girls and a boy, were born through normal delivery to 28-year-old Mercy Kanini, a resident of Juja in Kiambu county.
According to Kiambu County Executive Committee Member for Health Services Dr Elias Maina, Kanini went into labour at about 1 am and was admitted to Thika Level Five Hospital at around 7 am with established labour.
Three obstetric scans had shown that she was carrying quintuplets, while her pregnancy was estimated at 25 weeks and six days.
The first baby, a boy, was born at 10:45 am, followed by the four girls, with the last baby delivered at 10:56 am. Kanini remained stable after the delivery.
The newborns weighed between 600 grammes and 800 grammes and were considered at high risk because of their extreme prematurity.
Dr Maina said their lungs had not fully developed and they required continuous resuscitation and a higher level of neonatal care.
The babies were initially stabilised by the neonatal team at Thika Level Five before being transferred to KNH at about 10:30 pm on September 13.
They were accompanied by their parents in ambulances and received at KNH for specialised treatment.
On Tuesday, The Star reported that four of the babies had died at KNH, leaving one boy receiving specialised care at the facility.
The babies had been transferred because of their extremely low birth weights and need for specialised newborn intensive care.
A healthcare official told The Star at the time that their weights were too low for the level of care available at the county hospital.
The birth had initially brought joy to the family after Kanini delivered all five babies naturally in what The Star described as a rare occurrence, with only five such cases recorded in Kenya’s history at the time of its report.
Kanini said she was initially being prepared for a Caesarean section after delivering the first baby, but doctors later determined that she could deliver the remaining babies normally.
She praised the doctors and nurses at Thika Level Five for the care she received, saying her babies were placed in nurseries and attended to after delivery.
The quintuplets were Kanini’s third pregnancy. She already had a son and a daughter.
Her husband, Evans Nyamhanga, described the arrival of the five babies as a miracle and said the family had expected four babies.
The family had appealed for financial assistance to help meet the demands associated with caring for the newborns, while Kiambu Governor Kimani Wamatangi had provided an ambulance.
The family is now mourning the loss of all five newborns.
KNH said it was “deeply saddened” by the deaths and extended its condolences to Kanini and the entire family, saying it recognised the profound pain of losing five newborns.