Australian woman gives birth to identical quadruplet girls

An Australian woman has given birth to identical quadruplet girls, a rare event that occurs in approximately one in 15 million pregnancies. The babies were delivered by cesarean section at 29 weeks at a hospital in Sydney, with each weighing between 2.5 and 3.3 pounds. The mother, who has not been publicly named, and the four infants are reported to be in stable condition. The quadruplets are believed to be the first set of identical quadruplets born in Australia in over a decade. Identical quadruplets result from a single fertilized egg splitting into four embryos, a phenomenon that is far rarer than fraternal quadruplets. The family, who already have a young son, expressed joy and gratitude for the healthy arrival of the girls. The newborns will remain in the hospital's neonatal intensive care unit for several weeks to continue developing before they can go home.