A couple from Mali, Halima Cissé and Abdelkader Arby, are parents to the world’s only group of ‘nonuplets’ – nine babies delivered at a single birth. The family has recently returned back home to Mali after being flown to Morocco for specialist care prior to the birth.
Ahead of the nonuplets birth in May 2021, mother of the record-breaking babies, Halima – then 26-years-old – was flown to Morocco with her husband for specialist care after they had been relying on medical support in Casablanca, Mali.
The family has now returned home after spending 19 months in Morocco to ensure that no risks were posed to the nine newborns who were born prematurely, at 30 weeks via Caesarian. Thankfully, the big brood are in the clear and have touched back down in Mali – their home.
Saloum Arby / BBC
Of the nine babies, five are girls and four are boys. The girls are named Kadidia, Fatouma, Hawa, Adama and Oumou. The boys are named Mohammed VI, Oumar, Elhadji and Bah. Prof Youssef Alaoui, medical director of the clinic where the nonuplets were born, told AFP news that the babies weighed between 500g and 1kg at birth.
Upon arriving back home in Mali, father of the babies, Abdelkader, thanked the government who had been assisting the family financially. “It’s a lot of work but Allah, who gave us this blessing, will help us in their upbringing and taking care of them,” he said.
The minister of health in Mali, Diéminatou Sangara, said that they would continue to support the family.
The nonuplets have since made the Guinness World Records for ‘most children delivered at a single birth to survive.’
Saloum Arby / BBC
The family celebrated the nine babies’ birthday in May earlier this year. In an interview with BBC, their father explains that each baby has unique quirks and personality.
“They all have different characters. Some are quiet, while other make more noise and cry a lot. Some want to be picked up all the time. They are all very different, which is entirely normal.”
Abdelkader also says that the babies have become quite the attraction in Mali. Everyone wants to meet the record-breaking babies themselves.
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Feature Image: BBC / Saloum Arby
