The first baby was born December 8th, followed by the seven others twelve days later. Chijindu Chidera, the smallest of the octuplets, weighing 10.3 ounces at birth, died December 27th from lung and heart failure.
Some experts say multiple births are risky, resulting in the birth of sickly, premature babies.
Premature infants are often placed in incubators, fed intravenously and assisted in breathing by a respirator. Premature babies face serious complications, including lung problems and bleeding in the head, which can cause long-term physical and mental impairment. They are also more at risk of life-threatening infections and vision impairment. It is estimated that caring for eight premature babies would cost half a million dollars from delivery to the time they went home. The octuplet's mother, Nkem Chukwu, reportedly took two hormone-based fertility drugs, follicle stimulating hormone and human chorionic gonadotropin hormone, to produce several eggs.