Quadruplets born to 65-year-old mother to leave hospital soon

(AFP) Highly premature quadruplets born to a 65-year-old German woman three months ago are doing well and will leave hospital in a few days, media reported Monday.

German commercial television station RTL presented what it called the first footage of Neeta, Dries, Bence and Fijon since they were born at just under 26 weeks in early May. 

"We can see that the children are doing well. They feel good with their mother," said Christoph Buehrer, who heads neonatal services at the Charité hospital in Berlin where the infants have been treated since their birth.

In a case that has sparked controversy in Germany, teacher Annegret Raunigk - who already had 13 children - gave birth to the quadruplets by C-section after travelling to Ukraine for fertility treatment with anonymous sperm and egg donors.

The three baby boys and a girl, who weighed between 655 and 960 grammes at birth, were described by Buehrer as "absolute high risk" cases.

Two of the newborns had to be given help breathing, and two had to undergo surgery.

But they are now out of danger, and have gained about three times their birth weight, RTL said. Buehrer described them now as "normal children."

Raunigk, a grandmother of seven, had said that she decided to try to have another child because her youngest daughter, who was nine, wanted a little brother or sister.

News of her multiple pregnancy emerged in April when she dismissed critics who said she was acting irresponsibly due to her age.

"How does one have to be at 65?" RTL quoted her as saying at the time. "One must apparently always fit some cliches which I find rather tiring.

"I think one must decide that for oneself."