Naturally Conceived Quintuplets Born in Armenia

YEREVAN — A 23-year-old woman has given birth to naturally conceived quintuplets without the use of any assisted reproductive technology at Erebuni Medical Center in Yerevan today. The babies (4 girls and 1 boy) weigh between 600 and 900 grams. These are the first quintuplets born since Armenia declared independence on September 21, 1991.

The parents Lusine Pogosyan and David Karapetyan who live in a dormitory in the city of Metsamor have named the babies Anna, Tehmine, Lilit, Rosie, and Ara.

According to Andranik Poghosyan, MD, Director of Maternity Home at MC Erebouni, who performed the c-section, the quintuplets were conceived from 5 different oocytes, and each was in its own gestational sac.

During the first ultrasound examination, the young couple was told that they were going to have triplets. But soon after they found out that they were actually having quintuplets.

The babies were born at 28 weeks. The boy weighs about 880 grams, the smallest of the girls weighs about 650 grams. They are now in 4 different hospitals of Yerevan, and doctors hope they’ll be fine.

The Armenian government will allocate 1.5 million drams [about $3,095] for each of the five newborns from Metsamor.

“The family will receive 7.5 million drams [about $15,474], from which 2.5 million drams [about $5,158] will be provided directly to the parents, whereas the remaining 5 million [drams; about $10,316] will be transferred to the family fund account—one million [drams; about $2,063] to each [newborn]—that is opened in the name of each child,” according to press secrtary of the government.