Couple makes history with birth of rare quintuplets in New Jersey

JERSEY CITY, New Jersey -- A New Jersey couple and their team of doctors have made history after the successful delivery of healthy quintuplets.

Abla Boutaba and Salim Mostefaoui welcomed five babies -- three girls and two boys -- via C-section at Jersey City Medical Center on Jan. 6. This marks the first delivery of quintuplets in Hudson County.

A team of obstetricians, anesthesiologists, neonatologists, nursing staff, respiratory therapists and cardiologists worked together to help plan Boutaba's delivery.

In total, more than 50 experts were on hand to help -- 10 for each baby -- to ensure a safe delivery for Boutaba at 27 and a half weeks.

"Our team met weekly to organize, practice and simulate drills for a smooth and safe delivery of all five babies," said Lance Bruck, MD, FACOG, FACS, Chairman, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Jersey City Medical Center. "The safety of mom and baby is our highest priority."

Boutaba and all five babies are said to be doing well while they continue to recover in the NICU.

"They are doing beyond well, all five of them," said Dr. Bruck. "They are all breathing on their own and with birth weights that ranged from a little over 600 grams to a little over 1,000 grams, I would say they're doing phenomenally."

Health officials say the odds of having quintuplets are extremely rare. In 2017, there were only 49 sets of quintuplets or higher order births born in the United States.