OCTUPLETS ! : Eight is Enough ! Woman gives birth to EIGHT babies (and she's going to breastfeed them all)

A US woman has given birth to eight babies, becoming just the second person recorded in the US to have delivered a set of living octuplets.

The six boys and two girls, who were nine weeks premature, were delivered by Caesarean section in the hospital in Los Angeles, California. Doctors at the hospital told of their delight at the smooth delivery of babies they called A, B, C, D, E, F and G as they arrived - and their surprise when the eighth, Baby H, was born. The babies weighed in at between 1lb 8 ounces (820g) and 3lb 4oz (1.47kg) and are all said to be doing well.They were screaming and kicking around very vigorously, a doctor said.

The media reports that all eight babies are likely to remain in hospital for two months. There is still no report whether the mother had became pregnant through fertility treatment, which can raise the likelihood of multiple births according to medical specialists working in this field. The good news is that the mother plans to breastfeed all eight babies, as reported to the media by her doctor.

Forty-six hospital staff and four delivery rooms were used for the births. But despite weeks of preparation, doctors did not expect the eighth child. 'It is quite easy to miss a baby when you're anticipating seven babies,' said Dr. Harold Henry, chief of maternal and fetal medicine at the hospital. 'Ultrasound doesn't show you everything.'

OTHER MULTIPLE BIRTHS

Preliminary research into births of octuplets worldwide shows...

* In 1967 a set were born in Mexico City in what Time magazine called a 'trillion to one' chance. They all died within 13 hours. It was only the third time in that century that octuplets have been reported (the others: 1921 in Mexico, 1934 in China) and the first time such a birth has been confirmed. The mother was not using fertility drugs.

* In 1979 the New York Times reported a set of octuplets being born in Italy, the Chianese octuplets. Six died within two weeks of the birth, the other two appear to have survived.

* In 1985 Sevil Capan gave birth to octuplets in Turkey. Six died within 12 hours, the remaining two within 3 days.

* In 1996 Briton Mandy Allwood gave birth to octuplets. Sadly, all died.

* Also in 1996 a set were born in Spain. Two were stillborn, the other six survived.

* In 1998 Nkem Chukwu gave birth to the first confirmed set of live-born octuplets in the U.S. One was born an entire two weeks before the other seven. One baby died, but the other seven celebrated their tenth birthday last year.

* In 2000 a set of octuplets were reported born in Italy. Four died, four survived.

* Some reports claim another set of octuplets were born in India, but there is no confirmation.