The largest number of children. The most numerous twins born at one time. Highest number of surviving twins

21.12.2023

On January 10, 1974, six twins were born to Sue Rosenkowitz in Cape Town and for the first time all newborns survived.

But this, as they say, is not the limit. More twins have been and are being born in the world. What is the largest number of children born at the same time?

Gears

In October 2008, 31-year-old Digna Carpio from New York gave birth to six twins - four boys and two girls. The weight of the babies at birth ranged from 0.68 to 0.9 kilograms. The happy mother and her husband, 36-year-old Victor, already had a seven-year-old son at that time.

The birth of six twins is an extremely rare occurrence, occurring in one case per 4.4 million population. Only once before had six babies been born at once in New York. This happened in 1997.

In October 2010, in the Italian city of Benevento, near Naples, 30-year-old Carmela Oliva gave birth to six children - four girls and two boys. In Italy this was the first such case in the last 14 years.

To help the babies be born, doctors were forced to resort to caesarean section. Children were born with a low weight - from 600 to 800 grams. According to doctors, this phenomenon is not associated with artificial insemination, but with the treatment that the mother underwent - the fact is that Italian laws prohibit the transplantation of more than three embryos.

Seventeens

Bobbi McCaughey (USA) gave birth to 7 children on November 19, 1997. They weighed between 1048 and 1474 grams and were born at 31 weeks of gestation in 16 minutes via caesarean section.

7 twins were born 8 weeks prematurely - on January 14, 1998 - to 40-year-old Hasna Mohammed Humair (Saudi Arabia). Among them were 4 boys and 3 girls, the smallest weighed 907 grams.

In August 2008, in the northern Egyptian province of Beheira, the 27-year-old wife of a local farmer, Ghazalu Khamis, gave birth to seven twins at once! As it turned out, the Egyptian woman dreamed of giving her husband a son and took pregnancy-inducing drugs. The result is four sons and three daughters.

Ghazala Khamis was placed under observation two months before giving birth: the development of the twins in the womb did not cause any concern - the doctors were only concerned about the increasing pressure on the kidneys. After the caesarean section, the woman in labor also underwent a blood transfusion. But all the babies were born healthy and quite large - from 1.4 to 2.8 kg, which in itself is a mystery of nature.

Octuplets

On January 26, 2009, 33-year-old Nadi Suleman gave birth to eight twins, and all of them were healthy.

The mother of the newborn octuplets then lived with her other children and parents in the suburbs of Los Angeles - in the small town of Whittier. The family already had six children aged from two to seven years old, including a pair of twins.

The children’s grandmother left her job and devoted herself entirely to her daughter’s family. And grandfather, to help Nadya, went to Iraq to work under a contract. Nadia herself claimed that she decided to take this step because of her own childhood, in which she so lacked brothers and sisters. In addition, the eccentric American said that she follows the example of her idol, Angelina Jolie, who has many children. A few years ago, Suleman even had plastic surgery to look like an actress.

The octuplets were conceived through in vitro fertilization (IVF). In such cases, doctors insist on reduction (removal) of some embryos. After all, such a quantity can have a bad effect on both the health of the mother and the health of future children.

But the Californian, with the support of her large family, refused the reduction. A single mother divorced her husband a long time ago precisely because they could not have children together.

The birth by caesarean section was nine weeks earlier than expected. The team of 46 doctors who delivered the baby were expecting the birth of seven babies, which, although not often, does happen. However, there were eight newborns - six boys and two girls - and all of them were quite healthy. The weight of babies is from 700 g to 1.9 kg. Seven of them were immediately breathing on their own and were bottle-fed. The whole family was discharged from the maternity hospital home just a week later.

From 10 and more

There is information about the birth of ten twins at once. Such cases were recorded in Spain in 1924, in China in 1936 and in Brazil in 1946. But this is not the limit.

Eleven children at once - this is the largest number of twins, information about which is known. The first birth of 11 twins occurred on May 29, 1971 in the USA, in the city of Philadelphia. The second - in 1977 in Bangladesh, in the city of Bagarhat. In both cases, none of the children, unfortunately, survived.

Besides

Largest number of children born to one mother

The largest number of children born to one mother, according to official data, is 69. According to reports made in 1782, between 1725 and 1765. the wife of the Russian peasant Fyodor Vasiliev gave birth 27 times, giving birth to twins 16 times, triplets 7 times and twins 4 times. Of these, only 2 children died in infancy.

Of our contemporaries, the most prolific mother is considered to be Leontina Albina from San Antonio, Chile, who gave birth to 55 children in 1943-81. As a result of her first 5 pregnancies, she gave birth to triplets, all of them male.

The woman who gave birth the most times

Elizabeth Greenhill from Abbots Langley, Hertfordshire, UK, allegedly gave birth a record number of times - 38 times. She had 39 children - 32 daughters and 7 sons - and died in 1681.

The father with many children

The Russian peasant from the village of Vvedenskoye, Yakov Kirillov, is considered to be the most numerous father in history, who in 1755, in connection with this, was presented to the court (he was then 60 years old). The peasant's first wife gave birth to 57 children: 4 times four, 7 times three, 9 times two and 2 times one. The second wife gave birth to 15 children. Thus, Yakov Kirillov had 72 children from two wives.

So much so that no one can beat him to this day. The woman gave birth to sixty-nine children - 69!

Only two babies died during childbirth. The Russian record holder gave birth to sixteen twins, seven triplets and four times quadruplets. And all this in twenty-seven births over thirty years. After the death of his wife, Fyodor Vasiliev found a new wife - a potential mother. The second wife gave the restless peasant eighteen more children. By the way, even after this, Fyodor Vasiliev did not break the Guinness record for the birth of children as a father of many children. The Guinness Book of World Records has recorded a staggering number of children from one father. The most prolific pope is a Moroccan ruler who lived in the first half of the eighteenth century. He helped give birth to three hundred and forty-two girls and seven hundred boys. But the results of our contemporaries are not so impressive. There is now a woman living in Chile who has set a Guinness record for having children in the twenty-first century. Leontina Albina gave birth to fifty-five children. In total, she was “on maternity leave” for about forty years. The first five times the woman gave birth exclusively to triplets. Moreover, only boys were born in triplets.

There are many more interesting and new records from the Guinness Book in our VK group

The record for the largest number of births was set by the Englishwoman Elizabeth Greenhill, who lived in the seventeenth century. She gave birth thirty-nine times.

As a result, she had thirty-nine children, among whom there was a real “battalion of women” - thirty-two girls and only seven boys. The Guinness World Record for giving birth to children at one time belongs to American Bobbi McCaughey and Saudi Arabian Hasna Mohammed Humair. Both women gave birth to seven live babies at one time. Australian Geraldine Broadwick managed to give birth to nine children at once, but, unfortunately, only seven survived. Two were stillborn. Eight children were carried by Nkem Chukwu from the USA. She managed to give birth to only one naturally; the others were born with the help of doctors (caesarean section). One child died during childbirth. Lina Medina became a mother at the age of five and a half. The Guinness record for the birth of children in the category “Oldest mother” was set by the Italian Rosanna Dalla Corta. She managed to give birth at sixty-three years old. Arsely Kekh from the USA also gave birth at the same age. Rosanna Dalla Corta was treated for infertility for a long time and believed that someday she would know the happiness of motherhood. The heaviest child was born weighing ten kilograms, and the smallest one weighing two hundred and eighty-one grams.

On July 18, 1994, 63-year-old Italian Rosanna Dalla Corta created a sensation in world medicine by giving birth to a boy after a course of infertility treatment. We decided to recall the most unusual childbearing records.

Youngest mother

Lina Medina became the youngest mother in the world in 1939 in Peru. At the age of 5 years and 7 months, this girl gave birth to a 3-pound baby. Lina’s parents noticed strange bloating in the girl’s belly when she was already 7 months old. At first, doctors diagnosed a tumor, but then admitted that the girl was pregnant. Lina's pregnancy proceeded absolutely normally, and in the end the baby was born quite healthy. Lina did not dare to name the reason for her pregnancy or her real father, even after several decades. The earliest born child lived until he was 40 years old, and then died of bone marrow disease.

First pregnant man

On June 29, 2008, the world was shocked by the news that the first pregnant man had successfully given birth to a child. This was done by 34-year-old American Thomas Beaty, who gave birth to a healthy girl. The fact is that 15 years ago Thomas decided to have sex reassignment surgery. His mammary glands were removed, but the female reproductive system was left inside the body. The child was born through artificial insemination. During childbirth, the man had to undergo a caesarean section, although Beaty himself claims that the birth occurred naturally. He was met from the maternity hospital by his wife Nancy, who claimed that the family would be absolutely traditional: Biti would play the paternal role, and she would play the maternal role.

The heaviest baby in the world

In 1955, a woman named Carmelina Fedele gave birth to the heaviest baby in the world in Aversa, Italy. His weight was 10.2 kilograms. The child was born healthy, it was a boy. Before this incident, no one in the world had ever given birth to a 10-kilogram baby. In 2009, a baby weighing almost 9 kg was born in Indonesia, and in 1992 a baby weighing 7 kg was born in the UK. By comparison, the smallest surviving baby in history weighed 281 grams.

The largest number of children born to a woman in her entire life

The wife of the Russian peasant Fyodor Vasilyev gave birth to and raised 69 children. In just 40 years, she managed to give birth 27 times: 16 times of twins, 7 times of triplets and 4 times of 4 twins. Only two Vasiliev children died in infancy.

Largest number of multiple births per woman

Maddalena Granata from Italy, born in 1839, gave birth 15 times in her life - and all 15 times she gave birth to triplets. The most multiple pregnancy in history occurred in Kursk: a woman there gave birth to 10 children at one time. No one has yet been able to repeat the record - and the woman herself, understandably, prefers not to try.

Of our contemporaries, the most prolific mother is considered to be Leontina Albina (or Alvina) from San Antonio, Chile, who in 1943-81. gave birth to 55 children. As a result of her first 5 pregnancies, she gave birth to triplets, all of them male.

Has given birth the most times

Elizabeth Greenhill of Abbots Langley, c., allegedly gave birth a record number of times - 38 times. Hertfordshire, UK. She had 39 children - 32 daughters and 7 sons - and died in 1681.

Largest number of multiple births in one family

Maddalena Granata from Italy (b. 1839) gave birth to triplets 15 times.

There is also information about birth on May 29, 1971 in Philadelphia, pcs. Pennsylvania, USA, and in May 1977 in Bagarhat, Bangladesh, 11 twins. In both cases, not a single child survived.

Most fertile pregnancies

Dr. Gennaro Montanino, Rome, Italy, claims to have removed the embryos of 10 girls and 5 boys from the uterus of a 35-year-old woman who was 4 months pregnant in July 1971. This unique case of 15th pregnancy was the result of taking fertility pills.

Geraldine Broadrick gave birth to 9 children - the largest number in one pregnancy - on June 13, 1971 in Sydney, Australia. 5 boys and 4 girls were born: 2 boys were stillborn, and none of the rest lived more than 6 days.

Cases of the birth of 10 twins (2 boys and 8 girls) are known from reports from Spain (1924), China (1936) and Brazil (April 1946).

The father with many children

The most numerous father in the history of our country is considered to be the peasant of the village of Vvedensky, Yakov Kirillov, who in 1755, in connection with this, was presented to the court (he was then 60 years old). The peasant's first wife gave birth to 57 children: 4 times four, 7 times three, 9 times two and 2 times one. The second wife gave birth to 15 children. Thus, Yakov Kirillov had 72 children from two wives.

In the world I could not repeat or break this record. The advantage of the peasant woman was her genetics, which made it possible to produce children in 27 births. Vasilyeva gave birth to twins 16 times (another world record), triplets and four quadruplets were born seven times. Unfortunately, only 67 children survived to conscious age.

It is worth noting that this record is not the final point for Fedor Vasiliev himself. The peasant was married twice. In his first marriage, he gave birth to 20 more children. As a result, there were 87 children in the large family. This fact was appreciated even by Catherine the Great, and information about such a large offspring was included in the book “Additions to the Acts of Emperor Peter the Great.”

Historians are still arguing about the order of birth of the children of the peasant Vasilyev. However, facts gleaned from house books and issues of the Vedomosti newspaper indicate the excessive fertility of the second wife.

The largest families of our time

If the record of the peasant Vasilyeva to this day has not been broken by a single woman, Fyodor Vasilyev himself was ahead of the modern Indian Zion Chan (Zion Khan) with a noticeable advantage. The polygamist will give birth to 94 children.

The Indian man was able to conceive so many children thanks to his wives - Zion Chan has 39 of them. The huge family lives in a common multi-storey building. The wives of the sons and grandchildren of the hero father also live in it. According to the most conservative estimates, about 180 people live in the house.

According to the father of the family, they begin to prepare for dinner in their house before breakfast. As a rule, wives take part in cooking. To feed so many people, more than a dozen chickens and several carts of vegetables are spent on one meal.

In those countries where polygamy is prohibited, the records are “modest”. The closest person to Vasiliev's record was a resident of Chile, Leontina Albina. She managed to give birth to 55 children and was also included in the Book of Records.

Modern Russia has its own heroes of childbirth. Today they are Elena and Alexander Shishkin. The Pentecostal family (a branch of Christianity where abortion is strictly prohibited) gave birth to 20 children. Nineteen of them still live with their parents, and the eldest son already has his own family and three children.

Active supporters of Christianity, Americans Bob and Michelle Duggar did not think about having a large family. Initially, their plans were to give life to two or three children. However, after the birth of her first baby and subsequent contraception, the woman suffered a miscarriage, which almost cost her life. After this, the husband and wife decided not to interfere with “God’s plans” and surrendered to the will of fate. As a result, they became one of the largest families in America, giving birth to and raising 19 children. There could have been more babies, but three of Michelle's births ended in the death of the babies.

The happiness of becoming parents does not come easily to everyone. Long gone are the days when people could only pray for the appearance of their babies, hoping for luck. Modern medicine offers childless couples many methods for realizing their cherished dreams, which sometimes leads to such unexpected results as multiple pregnancies.

Interesting pages of history

It is known for certain that in 1946, a Brazilian woman gave birth to ten offspring, born from one mother. History is silent about whether the kids were able to adapt to the world around them. Around the same time, births of similar numbers were recorded in Spain and China. Similarly, little is known about their further fate.

A little more detail can be found about the eight twins of an American citizen, each of whom survived. Another American woman also set an unofficial record for childbearing: in 1998, she had eight children at once, and seven were not only saved from death, but also subsequently raised.

The feat of becoming parents of many children

What's special about being pregnant with multiple fetuses at once? The reasons that absolutely lead to multiple pregnancies are not always amenable to logical explanation, but there is also a completely scientific view. Recently, the appearance of several babies at once is a frequent consequence of the artificial insemination procedure, due to the specific features of its implementation. Previously, such cases occurred more likely as a result of a coincidence or hereditary predisposition

In addition, women in adulthood should also expect similar surprises during fertilization, since before the onset of menopause, the body produces eggs on a regular basis. Mothers with many children who, before conception, stopped taking hormonal drugs or took antibiotics for a long time are not immune from the unexpected possibility of becoming mothers with many children.

Childbirth during a multiple pregnancy usually occurs earlier, the more children a woman carries. This natural process has a number of features in this case, because the work of all systems of the mother’s body works at an increased rate and consumes much more energy.

Despite the fact that during childbirth such pathologies as uterine bleeding and oxygen starvation of the second fetus cannot be excluded, the cesarean section procedure is resorted to only under strict indications. If we are talking about a pregnancy with four fetuses or more, there is a high probability of the children dying after their birth. And therefore, you need to be especially scrupulous in selecting a medical institution dealing with an unusual pregnancy and a doctor delivering the baby.

There is a popular belief that a baby born weighing less than average is not a healthy newborn, even if he was born without any complications and on time. Large children with great height and weight are considered healthy.

Pathology or normal

The norm is considered to be a weight of three kilograms, plus or minus 500 grams. You could say this is a classic weight. “Giants” are considered to be babies weighing more than five kilograms. The height of such heroes is also above average and can reach up to 60 centimeters.

However, there are cases when even these “heroic” norms are exceeded by several tens of percent.

Such large babies will not necessarily become giants. With age, the difference with children with average parameters gradually decreases, and by maturity it disappears altogether. For example, Tom Jerryson, born in Texas, weighed 8.5 kilograms in 1962 and was 58 centimeters tall. By the age of 10, his weight was already 33 kg, that is, within the average norm. At 50 years old, with a height of 175 cm, his body weight was 80 kg. It turns out that nature itself corrects failures in the development of giant children.

True, not everything is so good. Doctors have been studying such anomalies for several decades. Often, children born overweight subsequently suffer from diabetes mellitus, and allergic diseases are much more common in them. This occurs due to altered muscle tone. Children born large often develop neurological diseases. Of course, when such a child is born, it is not necessary that he will develop all such diseases, but the risk of their occurrence is much greater than in “average” children.

It’s just that the baby’s parents will need to pay more attention to such factors in the future.

Records of the birth of giants

The world has long been recording appearances with weight exceeding the norm. The Guinness Book of Records describes many such cases. Just recently, a baby was born in Indonesia whose weight was more than nine kilograms (2009). His height was 62 cm. The birth of such a child can hardly be called a normal birth; most likely, it was removed from the mother.

Modern medicine is ready for such surprises of nature, so the health of the mother of such a hero was not in danger. The difficulty was raising a child after birth. The mother constantly had to feed the baby, since from his first days he had an increased appetite. This large baby was also different from the other babies in his voice, because he cried much louder than the others.

Doctors explain this increased development of the fetus by the mother's illness due to diabetes mellitus. The largest in the countries of the former CIS are considered to be a boy weighing 6.7 kg (Samara) and a girl born in Altai, her weight was 7.7 kg. Currently, the record holder is a child whose birth weight reached 10.2 kg. This baby was born in 1955 in Italy.

Pregnancy for most women is an expected and happy event, but it happens that it turns out to be multiple. Most often, a woman with a multiple pregnancy gives birth to twins or triplets, but is it possible to give birth to six children at one time?

All about multiple pregnancy

Multiple pregnancy is a condition in which two or more embryos develop simultaneously in the uterus. The body of a woman with a multiple pregnancy requires very close attention, so the future mother of many children should treat it with all responsibility. She must follow a special daily and nutritional regimen, as well as undergo prevention of possible complications. Children born as a result of multiple pregnancies are called identical or fraternal twins.

Simultaneous maturation of two or more eggs occurs in both one and two female ovaries at once.

The causes of multiple pregnancies are most often several factors, which include maternal heredity and in vitro fertilization, in which all the eggs implanted in the woman’s uterus take root and develop. In addition, multiple pregnancies can develop as a result of stimulation of ovulation by hormones that cause increased functioning of the ovaries, as well as with uterine anomalies, represented by its bicornuity or the presence of an intrauterine septum. And finally, the development of two or more fetuses is caused by the abolition of hormonal contraceptives after their long-term use.

Six-fetal pregnancy

The most multiple pregnancy reliably known to doctors consisted of nine children, several of whom were born alive, but died in childhood. Subsequently, it became known about the birth of seven and eight twins - in each case, only a few children survived the pregnancy. The six Indian twins are the first children ever to survive.

Now there are two sets of twins born in 1983 and 1986 living in England, and two more “sixes” live in Italy and South Africa.

Today, the birth of six children is quite possible, since in recent years the quality of obstetric services and pediatric therapy, as well as the necessary medical equipment, has increased significantly. Today, doctors can successfully deliver a woman with a multiple pregnancy and save children born even fourteen weeks prematurely, whereas previously they did not try to save such babies, considering the situation completely hopeless.