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| Sextuplets delivered in Belfast | Sextuplets delivered in Belfast |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| A woman has given birth to six babies at the Royal Jubilee Maternity Hospital in Belfast. | A woman has given birth to six babies at the Royal Jubilee Maternity Hospital in Belfast. |
| They are four girls and two boys, weighing between 1lb 7oz and 2lb 2oz. The mother conceived the babies naturally, without the aid of IVF. | They are four girls and two boys, weighing between 1lb 7oz and 2lb 2oz. The mother conceived the babies naturally, without the aid of IVF. |
| The babies were delivered by caesarian section and were 14 weeks premature. | The babies were delivered by caesarian section and were 14 weeks premature. |
| The babies' parents have requested that the family's privacy is respected and they will not be available for photographs. | The babies' parents have requested that the family's privacy is respected and they will not be available for photographs. |
| This is both a happy time and a potentially difficult time Clifford Mayes Neonatal consultant | |
| Thirty medical staff were involved in the deliveries which took place by between 1119 and 1124 BST on Friday. | Thirty medical staff were involved in the deliveries which took place by between 1119 and 1124 BST on Friday. |
| The team was led by neonatal consultant Clifford Mayes. | The team was led by neonatal consultant Clifford Mayes. |
| Mr Mayes said the six babies were in intensive care and doing as well as could be expected after being born 14 weeks early. | |
| "This is both a happy time and a potentially difficult time," he said. | |
| "It is an extraordinary thing to have witnessed but you are also struck by the fact that there are little babies in intensive care." | |
| He added that there had been weeks of preparation including technical experts from across Northern Ireland. | |
| "We have planned very carefully for today and today went as well as we had hoped it would." | |
| Previously the largest multiple birth in Northern Ireland was quintuplets born in 2002. | Previously the largest multiple birth in Northern Ireland was quintuplets born in 2002. |
| The birth of sextuplets is rare across the world occurring in about one out of 4.5m pregnancies. | The birth of sextuplets is rare across the world occurring in about one out of 4.5m pregnancies. |
| The best known in the UK are the Waltons, born in Liverpool in 1983. | The best known in the UK are the Waltons, born in Liverpool in 1983. |