Five premature babies born at Thika Level Five Hospital in Kiambu County were transferred to Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) hours after their birth because they required specialised neonatal care that could not be adequately provided at the county facility.
Four of the five later died at KNH.
The babies, four girls and a boy, were delivered through normal delivery on September 13 after their mother, 28-year-old Mercy Kanini, went into labour at about 1 am.
According to Kiambu County Executive Committee Member for Health Services Dr Elias Maina, Kanini was admitted to the labour ward at Thika Level Five Hospital at about 7 am with established labour.
Her pregnancy was estimated at 25 weeks and six days based on her dates and an ultrasound scan.
Three obstetric scans had shown that she was carrying quintuplets.
Kanini attended antenatal clinic three times during the pregnancy. Her last two visits were at KNH.
Dr Maina said the hospital successfully managed the delivery of all five babies through normal delivery.
The first baby, a boy, was born at 10:45 am, followed by the four girls. The last baby was delivered at 10:56 am.
Kanini remained in stable condition after the delivery.
However, the babies were born extremely prematurely and had very low birth weights.
Their weights were recorded at 600 grammes, 630 grammes, 715 grammes, 720 grammes and 800 grammes.
Dr Maina said their extreme prematurity meant they required a higher level of neonatal care and continuous resuscitation.
The babies' lungs had also not fully developed, further increasing the need for specialised care.
The neonatal team at Thika Level Five first stabilised the newborns before preparing them for transfer to KNH.
The babies left Thika Level Five Hospital at about 10:30 pm on September 13, several hours after they were delivered.
They were accompanied by their mother and father, Evans Nyamhanga, in ambulances and were successfully received at KNH, where they were to receive specialised neonatal care.
Kanini had made headlines after delivering the quintuplets through normal delivery at Thika Level Five Hospital, in what was described as a rare occurrence.
The babies had been born after a pregnancy of about six months and weighed between 600 grammes and 800 grammes.
Their condition placed them at high risk because of their extreme prematurity.
A healthcare official previously said the babies needed specialised newborn intensive care because of their very low weights.
The official said the babies were transferred to KNH because the specialised neonatal care they required was available there.
Kanini had earlier spoken about the delivery, saying she was initially being prepared for a Caesarean section after the first baby was born.
She said the plan changed after doctors examined her and determined that she could deliver the remaining babies normally.
She described herself as happy with the care she received from the doctors and nurses at Thika Level Five Hospital.
The mother also said her babies were placed in nurseries and attended to after delivery.
The quintuplets were Kanini's third pregnancy. She had previously given birth to a boy and a girl.
Her husband, Evans, described the arrival of the five babies as a miracle. He said he had expected four babies, but the family ended up with five.
The family had appealed for financial support to help meet the demands associated with caring for the newborns.
The deaths of four of the babies have now left the family with one surviving child receiving care at KNH.
