On Monday, January 26, a mother delivered eight babies at  Kaiser Permenante  Bellflower Medical Center. Preliminary research shows that this is only the second octuplet birth in the nation. The mother and babies are reported to be doing well. However, the first 72 hours are the most critical for the newborns.

Karen Maples, MD, chief, Obstetrics, and Harold Henry, MD, director, Maternal-Fetal Medicine, led the 52-member medical team to deliver the octuplets. The team used four operating rooms for the delivery and immediate care of the children. Only seven babies were expected—the eighth was a surprise.

The six boys and two girls were born within five minutes:

10:43 a.m. Baby A, a boy, weighing 2 pounds, 11 ounces

10:44 a.m. Baby B, a girl, weighing 2 pounds, 12 ounces

10:45 a.m. Baby C, a boy, weighing 3 pounds 4 ounces—the largest of the babies

10:45 a.m. Baby D, a girl, weighing 2 pounds 8 ounces

10:46 a.m. Baby E, a boy, weighing 1 pound, 8 ounces

10:47 a.m. Baby F, a boy, weighing 2 pounds, 12 ounces

10:47 a.m. Baby G, a boy, weighing 1 pound, 15 ounces

10:48 a.m. Baby H, a boy who had been hiding from the ultrasound; he weighed 2 pounds, 11 ounces