Wu Weiqing pictured yesterday with her identical quadruplets born in Shanghai. — Wang Rongjiang

The last baby of a rare set of identical quadruplets was discharged from Children’s Hospital of Fudan University yesterday after two months of treatment.

The four babies, all girls, are the third sets of quadruplets treated in the hospital over the last 12 years, and the first identical set, doctors said. The chances of a natural pregnancy with identical quadruplets is put at one in 15 million.

The babies were weighed between 780 to 1,120 grams, compared with 3 kilograms or so for a full-term baby.

“As they were born premature, many of their organs are not fully developed, particularly their lungs,” said Cao Yun, director with the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit.

She added the third girl was the most vulnerable of the four. She was also the lightest and had stayed longest time in the hospital.

“I’m very grateful to the doctors and nursers,” said the mother, Wu Weiqing. “The girls would not be able to grow so healthy without them.”

Total treatment cost more than 400,000 yuan (US$60,000) , with nearly 300,000 yuan of the money coming from two charity funds.

The family are from Jiangxi Province where Wu was told expecting triplets and recommended to deliver birth in Shanghai for better treatment. She then came to the Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University in Shanghai and learnt she was actually having quadruplets.

Wu, who already has a son and a daughter, said the pregnancy was unplanned.

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