Most prolific mother ever | Guinness World Records Most prolific mother ever Where Russia Shuya The greatest officially recorded number of children born to one mother is 69, to the wife of Feodor Vassilyev (b. 1707–c.1782), a peasant from Shuya, Russia. In 27 confinements she gave birth to 16 pairs of twins, seven sets of triplets and four sets of quadruplets. *** Numerous contemporaneous sources exist, which suggest that this seemingly improbably and statistically unlikely story is true. The case was reported to Moscow by the Monastery of Nikolsk on 27 Feb 1782, which had recorded every birth. It is noted that, by this time, only two of the children who were born in the period c. 1725–65 failed to survive their infancy. The Gentleman's Magazine (1783, 53, 753) recounts: "In an original letter now before me, dated St Petersburg, Aug 13, 1782, O. S.

Feodor Wassilief [sic], aged 75, a peasant, said to be now alive and in perfect health, in the Government of Moscow, has had– By his first wife: --------- 8 births 18 children In all, 35 births, 87 children, of which 84 are living and only three buried. . . The above relation, however astonishing, may be depended upon, as it came directly from an English merchant at St Petersburg to his relatives in England, who added that the peasant was to be introduced to the Empress." In Saint Petersburg Panorama, Bashutski, 1834, the author notes that: "In the day of 27 February 1782, the list from Nikolskiy monastery came to Moscow containing the information that a peasant of the Shuya district, Feodor Vassilyev, married twice, had 87 children. His first wife in 27 confinements gave birth to 16 pairs of twins, seven sets of triplets and four sets of quadruplets. His second wife in eight confinements gave birth to six pairs of twins and two sets of triplets. F.

Vassilyev was 75 at that time with 82 of his children alive." And the Lancet (1878) refers to a twin study carried out by the French Academy and: "Apropos of the enquiry, the Committee of the Academy recall an account of a quite extraordinary fecundity that was published by M. Hermann in his "Travaux Statistiques de la Russie," for Fedor Vassilet [sic]. . . who, in 1782, was aged 75 years, had had, by two wives, 87 children." Aside from this, not much is known about the first Mrs Vassilyev - even her first name (although some sources claim her name was Valentina). It is thought she lived to the age of 76. Although this historic record should be taken with a pinch of salt, it is certainly conceivable that Mrs Vassilyev could have had a genetic predisposition to hyper-ovulate (release multiple eggs in one cycle), which significantly increases the chance of having twins or multiple children. It is also not impossible for a woman to have 27 pregnancies during her fertile years.

All records listed on our website are current and up-to-date. For a full list of record titles, please use our Record Application Search. (You will be need to register / login for access) The Largest Number of Children in One Family on Record? The Largest Number of Children in One Family on Record? Click here to find out USA Today recently came out with a family on record with the most children born to one couple, the Chernenko family of Sacromento, 17 children. Originally from the Ukraine, this family shows that having many children can be a great blessing from God. Unlike other large families that have large incomes to overcome the modern doubts of financial sustainability of so many kids, Vladimir Chernenko provides only a modest income as a security guard and a janitor at a school. The USA Today article shows how God is in control of our finances, our families, and our faith…if we allow him that control. I’m not quite certain that Wendy and I will make it to 17, but I am certain of the faith that we have that God will take care of us if we do. This isn’t complex theology or detailed decision making.

We aren’t masterminding our future or “planning” our parenting as if our children are lab specimins with predictable lives and scientific hypotheses. Our children are gifts from God, and each one of them are blessings to us, to each other, and to the world. Order Jeub Family products from Monument Publishing. About Chris & Wendy Jeub The Jeub Family live in Monument, Colorado. They encourage couples to love God and love one another, building an atmosphere of love in their homes. Kelly I’ve heard of this family. They don’t speak English at all. There is a record that has a pretty large number of children born to one mother. A Russian woman had 69 children in 40 years (1725 to 1765)! They were twins (16 sets), triplets (7 sets), and quads (4 sets). Only two failed to live passed infancy. Michelle Yes, they do speak English. They were featured on TLC and speak perfect English. John Bartell Not to ruion your day but there are 19 in my family counting my parents. I guess we are even. Born and raised in Remer, MN You can check the stas.

at Cass County court house, Minesota under Gus (Agustus), Bartell Parents are both dead also two oldest siblings. My older sister is in her eighties living in Grants pass, Or. jon I’m next to the toungest at 64 years. Yana Well I guess that big families are spread far and wide…I am the second to youngest in a family of 17 children, yes all from one mother and father. I am 18 and quite happy and satisfied, saved through Christ, by grace in faith. My family has 4 sets if twins, boy-boy 2 sets and boy-girl two sets. Hey, unlike other families, we are never bored or alone unless we choose to be. Ana Wow,I grew up in a family of 6 and thought that was a big family, which in the 80s it was. However, I love kids and would love to have as many as GOD would bless us with. My hubby is from one of those western european countries where having children is not all that great(I wont name the country as not to offend anyone), where it seems no one here has more than 1-2 children and they wait until they are 40 to have them!

Its sad bc they dont even seem to care much, and in the USA we LOVE our children and our big families! So glad GOD touches our families and bless them with so many blessings!! Elizabeth “The highest officially recorded number of children born to one mother is 69, to the first wife of Feodor Vassilyev** (1707-1782) of Shuya, Russia. Between 1725 and 1765, in a total of 27 confinements, she gave birth to 16 pairs of twins, seven sets of triplets, and four sets of quadruplets. 67 of them survived infancy.” Isabel I am the third oldest in a family of 18. Five twins 2 triplets. Geo In my country (Hungary) there is a family in the south of the country living in a small village with 20 kids. They were on TV a couple of years ago in a show presented by Mr. Andras Kepes. Chandima There is a family in Sri Lanka which was featured in a newspaper article and they have currently 23 children and the mother is expecting one more.

So, 17 is not really the highest number. Rick I have a personal friend who is one of 22 children by the same parents. I came to this site to see if that was some kind of record but it looks like someone else has captured that title. Chamorrita I have the most children by one father in my family and the most grandchildren for my parents…but I never made it to double digit numbers! I only gave birth to 8! I wish I could have more like these lucky women! To all those with super large families:God sure has blessed you all! asilla smith im the 69th oldest of a lot of children there are 5 sets of twins 4 sets of triplets 4 sets of quadruplets 3 sets of quintuplets 7 sets of sextuplets 2 sets of septuplets 1 set of nontuplets 2 sets of decaplets 6 sets of octuplets and 4 single birth. add it all together ChimBobbee Wow, Asilla Smith! At least you’re in the elder half of the family, so you have almost 130 little siblings to boss around.

Part of me, though, believes that in reality you are a primary-school teacher who wanted to post a math “story problem” on a school enrichment site, but mistakenly posted it to a Quiverfull site . . . . .What does everyone else think?? Chimbobbee Shawna I have a couple of questions for Asilla Smith – how many of your siblings were live births? How many survived infancy? That is an amazing story! I’d love to hear more about your very large family! Meggie Asilla Smith…if your story is true, why can’t I find anyting out when I google you. If your story is a math problem, I hope you are a college professor, because I have failed to add up the number of children in the story! I’d like to find the real record of the most births, the mother with 69 children sounds like it takes the cake! Also, if the Duggars of NW Arkansas keep going, they may take the current record! Myself, I have a dream of having 6 children once I marry. elizabeth umm the duggar family has 18 and they keep growing JTurner Asilla Smith… the only families with decaplets never survived infancy.

I think your just making it up to get attention. Kelly The Duggar family just got bigger. Not only are they going to have a grandchild (due in mid-October I think), but they just announced today that they are pregnant with number 19. Ann Arritola Yeah, I did the numbers. Asilla would be #69 of 190 children. Allegedly. Pffft! kaye I’ve read the record held in the UK is 22 children born to 1 woman in the midlands England. However my friend lived in Gravesend Kent England during 1950/60s. She recalls a naighbour who had 24 children which included 2 sets of twins. Most of the children had grown up so I guess they had been born around the 1930/40s. This is the same as the shri Lankan lady expecting her 24th. Apart from the lady from russia who had 69 – is 24 the next most?

Sue I came from a community of people who all had 18,19 and 23 children by the same mother and father,natural,no help from fertility drugs,my friend mother had 23 children who all live to be in their 60’s and 70’s,my mother had 15 children,not counting the ones she lost,my daugthers has twins,my 2nd daugther has 2 sets of twins,my 3rd daugther has a set and my last daugther has a set,now my grandson one of the older twins has twins,there’s 8 sets between my girls,one set from grandson,my aunt had 24 children,I’m 60,lived in Ark,having 20-25 children was nothing new for us,the African American people. Tom B My grandfather was one of 19 children. 18 of the kids had around 4-6 kids also except one I believe never had any. To give you an idea my grandfather was the second born. My mother was his second and is older than the 19th child. The family is the Swoggers and they are from north east Ohio.

Most of the 19 are still living and all of them were born to the same mother and father. Clara Sorry to contradict you but there are 23 people in my family(including parents,of course). I am 26 years old and I am the middle child. hey Tom, I think I know you. Don’t you work for International Herald Tribune? Answer! Clara xxxx Linda S My Dad is one of 20 children all born to the same parents. All of the children are still alive today, parents are deceased though. I love being a part of such a big happy family!! Abby has anyone ever ehard of the duggars. they clearly have more kids then this family with 19 total and still going. xavier varghese hey,i have six children , five girls and one boy. and i thought mine was a large family. my heart felt congrats and God”s blessings upon this family. Yes. certainthings arepre ordainrd and God has his own plans. Mineis a struggling family. Still some how things get done. and by God”s grace things are moving on.best wishes.

Chris & Wendy I personally think it sad to hear who has the “MOST” amount of children born to one family. I think it is nothing to be proud of, especially if it is more than 6 or 7 (this is my own opinion, no offence to those of you who have more than this amount). world, yes i agree with Tinahec, its certainly ridiculous to have and raise so many children. It is very difficult to give attention to all of them. Think about the time, energy and money spent just to maintain, support and raise the family as a whole. What about the emotional commitment and physical up keep as well as the woman who is giving birth to all these children?! I also don’t think it is fair for these children to be in such a large family because kids need the individual attention from their folks in order for them to have emotional stability, and the bigger the family becomes the more difficult this is to be.. grandmother was one of 21 children where she was the fifth born from the top. Most of her and her siblings had spent their child and young adulthood helping her mum raise all the children together. This certainly isnt fair on them.

Children and young teens shouldn’t be raising or help raise their siblings, this is very selfish of the parents. Statistics are already showing that in 2050 the world as a whole will be in danger of completely diminishing it resources IF the human population continues to grow at a accelerated rapid rate. I am the eldest of 8 siblings in my family, and it has been difficult for me to maintain a good relationship with my folks because of it. I do love my siblings dearly as well as my folks but i don’t think it is fair on the whole. Today I have two kids and I’ve already drawn the line on having anymore. Just my stumbleupon Email Comment “Total Fertility Rate” or TFR is a statistic that measures the average number of children that would be born to a woman over her lifetime if she were to survive from birth until the end of her reproductive life. Throughout the years that TFRs have been computed, the data appear to show that the average number of children women have been bearing since 1950 has been steadily decreasing. In the United States, for example, the TFR from 1950 to 1995 was pegged at 4.95 children per mother.

This statistic has almost consistently declined throughout the years, and in the period 2010-2015, the United States TFR is foreseen to be at around 2.36 — in sixty years, a marked decline of two children per mother. However, throughout history, there are a number of women who have found themselves bearing a number of children significantly above the statistical average. In fact, advances in assisted reproductive and birth control technology in recent years have resulted in higher incidences of multiple births. Surprisingly though, the ten women who were recorded to have produced the highest number of children in history, save one, did so no later than the 1800s. What is even more mystifying is that those were times when women were without the advances in medicine that today’s mothers are able to take advantage of in caring for themselves before and after delivering their babies. Unfortunately, claims of prolific child-bearing made before the advent of the information age are characterized by scarce documentation. As a result, the stories of mothers who were said to have given birth to an incredible number of children are quite difficult to verify, the only pieces of evidence remaining to this day being isolated journal entries and old gravestones.

Nevertheless, the little that is known today about these prolific mothers is still absolutely fascinating. Here are ten mothers whom history has recorded to have given birth to the highest number of children: 10. Mary Jonas (33 Children) Via chesterwalls.info In the 1800s, there lived in Foregate Street, England, a furniture dealer by the name of Mary Jonas. When she died in 1899 at the age of 85, she was laid to rest with her husband, John Jonas. Their gravestone in the Overleigh Cemetery in Chester, England contains an interesting claim. The engraving reads, John Jonas, who died 24th February 1992, aged 78 years, also Mary Jonas, the beloved wife of the above, and mother of 33 children, who died December 4th, 1899, aged 85 years Of Mary and John’s 33 children, 30 were twins (15 pairs), and each of these twins were comprised of a boy and a girl. Furthermore, all of Mary and John’s children were born alive and were christened, but most passed away before they reached adulthood.

However, ten of the children were still alive upon their father’s death in 1892. Another interesting fact about the family is that a popular magazine of their time, Tit-Bits, ran a promotion that promised to offer a free copy for life to the woman “judged to have contributed most to the population of the Empire.” Mrs. Jonas won the contest, hands down. 9. Mrs. Harrison (35 Children) Via antiqbook.com In 1836, the book Mockett’s Journal: A Collection of Interesting Matters Relating to Remarkable Personages, Ancient Buildings, Manners and Customs was published. That book contains the following entry: 1736: Mrs. Harrison, wife of Mr. Harrison, an undertaker, residing in Vere Street, was brought to bed of her 35th child by one husband. Not much else is known about the couple. 8. Elizabeth Greenhill (39 Children) Via commons.wikimedia.org Most mothers who have a large number of children do so by having several multiple births.

However, Elizabeth Greenhill from Abbot’s Langley in Hertfordshire, managed to give birth to 39 children despite having only one multiple birth. This piece of history was recorded in Thomas Greenhill’s The Art of Embalming. The inscription in the book reads, She had 39 children by one husband. They were all born alive, and baptised and all single births save one. The last child, who was born after his father’s death, was a surgeon in King-street, Bloomsbury, and wrote the above book, which he was desirous to bring into fashion. She was heard to say by a credible witness, with whom I [the person whose signature attests it] was well acquainted, that she believed, if her husband had lived, she might have had two or three more children. [signed] Rich. Ashby, a clergyman. Thomas Greenhill, the author of the book and the last child of Elizabeth, was born after the death of his father, William Greenhill, in the late 1660s. 7.

Alice Hookes (41 Children) Via triskelartscentre.ie Alice Hookes of Gwynedd, North Wales enters this list by virtue of a gravestone found in Conway Church cemetery. The inscription on the memorial states that Nicholas Hookes, who died in 1637, was the 41st child of his mother, Alice. Unfortunately, no other details of Alice’s previous births exist. 6. Elizabeth Mott (42 Children) Via freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com The 1988 edition of the Guinness Book of Records lists the British record holder for the highest number of children to be a certain Elizabeth Mott. Elizabeth and John Mott of Monks Kirby in north-eastern Warwickshire were married in 1676, and they were reported to have produced 42 live-born children. Elizabeth passed away in 1720. 5. Maddalena Granata (52 Children) Via historywitch.com In Nocera, Italy, a woman by the name of Maddalena Granata was reported to have given birth to a total of 52 children.

The occurrence was recorded by a Xaples correspondent to a Paris Journal, where the following was written: About 2 or 3 stations beyond Pompeii, in the City of Nocera, lives Maddalena Granata, aged forty-seven, who was married at twenty-eight, and has given birth to 52 living and dead children, 49 being males. Dr. de Sanctis, of Nocera, states that she has had triplets 15 times. 4. Barbara Stratzmann (53 Children) Via ak-ansichtskarten.de Living from around 1448 to 1503 during the time of the Holy Roman Empire, Barbara Stratzmann of Boennigheim (today known as Germany) was reported to have borne 53 children, although none of them survived infancy. More specifically, Barbara and her husband Adam Stratzmann were said to have had one set of septuplets, one set of sextuplets, four sets of triplets, five sets of twins, and eighteen single births. Of these children, nineteen were supposedly stillborn, and by 1498, the eldest surviving child was eight years old.

The unusually large number of births was recorded in a painting by Protestant artist Cyriakuskirche from Boennigheim. In the work of art, Cyriakuskirche portrayed Barbara and Adam with their 53 children in a stable at Bethlehem. However, in 1990, the chief physician of the Heilbronn Municipal Women’s Clinic contradicted the story by pointing out that the multiple births Barbara was said to have had were statistically improbable and that a woman in that period would have been unlikely to survive the multiple pregnancies due to the state of medicine at that time. 3. Leontina Albina (55 Children) Via forwardeverforward.com The 1988 version of The Guinness Book of Records reports that the world’s most prolific mother at that time was San Antonio, Chile’s Leontina (née Espinosa) Albina, wife of Gerardo Secunda Albina. Leontina and Gerardo, born in 1925 and 1921, respectively, were married in Argentina in 1943. According to Gerardo, before coming to Chile, his wife had borne five sets of triplets (who all happened to be boys).

Then, in Chile, the couple had more children until 1981, when a 55-year-old Leontina was recorded to have given birth to her 55th child. There were actually unverified reports that the couple had nine more children after that, which would have upped their total to 64 children. In fact, if Leontina’s delivery in 1986 had been reliably verified, it would have made her the record-holder as the world’s oldest new mother at 60 years old. Unfortunately for the couple, eleven of their children were lost in an earthquake, and by 1988, only 40 of their children (24 boys and 16 girls) were alive. 2. The Wife of Yakov Kirillov (57 Children) Via commons.wikimedia.org In 1775, a 60-year-old Yakov Kirillov from the village of Vvedensky in Russia was presented to the Queen’s Court in recognition of his fatherhood achievements. With the peasant farmer were some of the 15 children borne to his second wife and all 57 of the children he had had with his first wife.

The first wife, whose name was not recorded, had given birth to her 57 children in a total of 21 births: four sets of quadruplets, seven sets of triplets, and ten sets of twins. Unfortunately, the certainty that Kirillov’s wife had truly borne 57 children cannot be unquestionably verified, thus giving rise to doubts on the veracity of the claim. 1. The First Wife of Feodor Vassilyev (69 Children) Via libraryeditions.blogspot.com Feodor Vassilyev, who lived from 1707 to 1782, was a peasant from Shuya, Russia. The name of his first wife has not been recorded, but according to the records of the Monastery of Nikolsk, this woman gave birth to four sets of quadruplets, seven sets of triplets, and sixteen sets of twins in her 27 confinements at the monastery. That makes a total of 69 births by one woman, and according to records, only two of the children failed to survive their infancy.

Adding to the extraordinary nature of this story, Vassilyev married again and with his new wife, had two sets of triplets and six sets of twins for a total of 18 more children in 8 births. That gave the the Russian 87 children all in all. Doubts have been raised on the veracity of this claim; nevertheless, Guinness World Records lists Vassilyev’s wife, with her 69 children, to be the official record holder as the most prolific mother of all time. 158 Shares Extreme Moms: 6 Record-Breaking Mothers Extreme Moms: 6 Record-Breaking Mothers By Tanya Lewis, Staff Writer | May 9, 2015 09:49am ET MORE Credit: Pregnancy photo via Shutterstock Motherhood is an impressive feat under any circumstances. But for some mothers, it's almost miraculous. From the world's youngest mom to the world's oldest, and the most pregnancies to the most babies born in a single pregnancy, here are some of the world's most extreme moms.

Most births from one pregnancy Nadya Suleman, better known as "Octomom," became world famous when she gave birth to eight babies in January 2009. When she was 33, the single American mother gave birth to the only known set of octuplets to live past their first week, USA Today reported previously. [ Blossoming Body: 8 Odd Changes That Happen During Pregnancy ] Suleman, who already had six children before giving birth to the octuplets, conceived all of her children (including the first six) through in vitro fertilization, sparking a debate about the technology. The Medical Board of California later revoked the license of the doctor who performed the procedure. Most prolific mom The most children born to any woman in recorded history is 69, according to Guinness World Records. The mother was a peasant from Shuya, Russia, identified only as the wife of Feodor Vassilyev. Mrs.

Vassilyev lived during the 18th century, and had 27 pregnancies, including 16 pairs of twins, seven sets of triplets and four sets of quadruplets, according to "The Guinness Book of World Records 1998" (Bantam Books). Youngest mother The youngest mother ever to give birth was Lina Medina, a Peruvian girl who was 5 years, 7 months and 21 days old when she gave birth in May 1939, according to a report in the journal La Presse Médicale. Doctors originally thought Medina's enlarged abdomen was a tumor, but they later found she was 7 months pregnant. Medina gave birth to a boy by Caesarean section , because of her small pelvis. According to the report, Medina first began menstruating when she was 8 months old, though a different report claimed she was older. According to Snopes.com , Medina's father was initially jailed on suspicion of incest, but was released because there wasn't any evidence to convict him, and it was never determined who the father of Medina's child was.

Oldest mother The oldest woman to give birth was an Indian woman named Omkari Panwar, who gave birth to twins at age 72, in June 2008. She conceived the twins — a boy and a girl — by in vitro fertilization, and gave birth via C-section, according to ABC News . Panwar already had two children and five grandchildren with her 75-year-old husband. First 'pregnant man' Thomas Beatie, a transgender man living in Oregon, became the world's first man to become pregnant and give birth, in 2008. Beatie — a public speaker, author and advocate for transgender and sexuality issues — was born a woman and underwent chest reconstruction surgery (but not sterilization) and testosterone therapy. He decided to have a baby via artificial insemination using a sperm donor, because his wife, Nancy, had had a hysterectomy and was unable to carry a child. Beatie has given birth to three children in total, according to his website . Smallest mom Stacey Herald, who stands just 2 feet 4 inches (71 centimeters) tall, has given birth to three babies, despite doctors' warnings that the pregnancies could be life-threatening.

Herald, a native of Dry Ridge, Kentucky, suffers from osteogenesis imperfecta, or brittle bone disease,a genetic disorder that results in weak bones that break easily. Doctors advised Herald against having children, because her pelvis is so small that a growing fetus could have crushed her internal organs, ABC News reported previously. Her oldest and youngest children also have the bone disorder, but her middle child is average height. Follow Tanya Lewis on Twitter . Follow us @livescience , Facebook & Google+ . Original article on Live Science . Editor's Recommendations 14 Notable Multiple Births (for a total of 69 babies) | Mental Floss 14 Notable Multiple Births (for a total of 69 babies) Image credit: Like us on Facebook Triplets, quadruplets, quintuplets, and more may seem almost commonplace now compared to years past, at least to those of us who just read about them. But they are anything but commonplace to parents who find themselves suddenly leading a large family! Until just a few decades ago, multiple conceptions were rare, and surviving children from multiple births were extremely rare.

Advances in prenatal diagnosis and neonatal care have raised the odds of survival, and fertility drugs have increased the incidence of multiple pregnancies. Scientists believe another factor is the growing tendency for women to give birth at an older age, since multiples are more common in older mothers. Triplets Triplets occur naturally only in one of about 6400 births, but the rate has skyrocketed with the use of fertility therapies. On May 4, 2007, Kyle, Emma, and Katie Coble, ages 5, 4, and 2, were killed in a car wreck that injured their mother and grandmother. Their parents, Lori and Chris Coble couldn't imagine life without children and opted for in-vitro fertilization a few months later. Three of the ten fertilized embryos were viable, and the Cobles insisted on implanting all three, even though their doctor preferred to use only two. The triplets were born on May first, and are said to be doing well at a hospital in Orange County, California. The two girls and a boy are named Ashley, Ellie and Jake. Quadruplets The Keys quadruplets were born in 1915 in Hollis, Oklahoma.

Alma Keys knew something was different about her fifth pregnancy, but she didn't know what until the four girls were born. The family turned down circus and freak show offers, but put the four on display every year at the state fair to raise money. The quadruplets were granted a full scholarship to Baylor University and graduated together in 1937. The Fultz quadruplets were four identical girls born in 1946 in Rockingham, North Carolina. They grew up advertsing Pet Milk products. Three of the Fultz sisters died of breast cancer; the remaining sibling, Catherine Fultz Griffin, was treated for breast cancer. The News-Record of North Caroina has the story of the Fultz quads in a six-part series . Continue reading for more quads, quints, sexts, septs, and more. Lee and Pam Deschler of Pennsylvania kept an online diary from the time they found out they were going to have four babies at once until the children were 5 and a half. Most quadruplets are born around 29 weeks of pregnancy (39-40 weeks is normal for a single pregnancy).

With the help of first-class medical supervision at Good Samaritan Medical Center in Phoenix, Arizona, the babies were delivered at 32 weeks and 5 days, weighing 3-4 pounds each. Reading their story gives one just a taste of how scary carrying multiple babies can be. Karen Jepp of Calgary, Alberta bore four daughters last August, a rare instance of identical quadruplets . The babies were conceived without fertility drugs, and were delivered two months early. The odds of identical quadruplets are about one in 13 million. Less than 50 cases appear in medical records (including the Fultz quads). Karen and her husband J.P. traveled to Great Falls, Montana for the Caesarian birth, making the four girls American citizens. The quadruplets have been home a few months now, and are thriving . Quintuplets The Dionne sisters were the first quintuplets to survive infancy. The five identical girls were born prematurely on May 28, 1934, near Corbeil, Ontario to Elzire and her husband Oliva Dionne.

The government of Ontario took custody of the girls from their parents and raised them in a specially-built facility that came to be known as Quintland. Marie, Cecile, Yvonne, Emilie, and Annette were made wards of the crown to protect them from exploitation. However, they were exploited by their new guardians. The quints lived an isolated life while Quintland saw millions of visitors (and dollars). The family regained custody when the sisters were nine years old, but they never bonded with their biological parents. They later broke off all contact with the family. The two surviving sisters, Annette and CÃ©cile, are almost 74. An extensive history of the Dionne quints is online at Quintland . Also see videos of the Dionne quintuplets. The Diligenti quintuplets were born in Argentina in 1943. Their parents, Italian immigrant Franco Diligenti and opera singer Ana Aversano kept the event a secret, going so far as to register the births in different districts. They were determined to shield their children from the intense publicity surrounding the Dionne family, and were, for the most part, successful.

Now age 64, the Diligenti quints are the world's oldest complete set of quintuplets. The Fischer quintuplets were the first known set of surviving quintuplets in the US. The four girls and a boy were born on September 14th, 1963 in Aberdeen, South Dakota. Their childhood was documented in magazines and in collectible kitsch, such as dolls and calendars . As they approach 45, all the quintuplets still live in the Aberdeen area . Sextuplets The Dilley sextuplets were the first surviving sextuplets in the United States. The family and their medical team were prepared for quintuplets after an ultrasound detected five heartbeats. After delivering five by Caesarian section, there was still another baby underneath! The four boys and two girls will turn 15 years old on May 25th. See a video of the family. Kate Gosselin has only been pregnant twice, but delivered eight children. Twin girls were born in 2000, followed by sextuplets in 2004.

The delivery of the three boys and three girls was attended by a team of 50 doctors, nurses, and specialists in Hershey, Pennsylvania. The Gosselin family has a reality show on The Learning Channel (TLC) called John and Kate Plus 8 , airing Mondays at 9PM EDT. You can read their story at the family's website . The Harris sextuplets of Birmingham, Alabama were born on July 7, 2002. They are the first surviving set of African-American sextuplets in the USA, all born healthy. Like the Dilleys, they were expecting quintuplets and were surprised at the sixth child. In 2005, the TV show Extreme Makeover Home Edition sent the six toddlers, along with their parents Chris and Diamond and older brother Dewayne to Walt Disney World and built them a new 5,800 square foot home . Septuplets Patti Frustaci was the first woman in the US to give birth to septuplets. The four boys and three girls were delivered by Caesarian section 12 weeks prematurely.

One girl was stillborn, and two boys and a girl died within 19 days from hyaline membrane disease, a complication of prematurity. The three surviving infants, Richard, Patricia and Stephen were found to have developmental deficits and cerebral palsy. Sam and Patti Frustaci sued their fertility doctor and clinic and accepted a 2.7 million dollar settlement. The couple later conceived healthy twins, but the family broke up sometime afterward. Kenny and Bobbi McCaughey produced the world's first surviving set of septuplets on November 19, 1997. The babies were conceived with the help of fertility drugs. The McCaugheys received some negative publicity due to their decision not to have "selective reduction" performed in order to boost the survival chances of the remaining babies. The septuplets were delivered nine weeks prematurely, and two of the children have cerebral palsy. The family grants very few interview requests outside of yearly updates with Ladies Home Journal (posing here with their older sister Mikayla) and Dateline NBC, where you can see their tenth birthday report .

Octuplets The first octuplets born in the US were the offspring of Nkem Chukwu and her husband Iyke Louis Udobi of Houston, Texas. The oldest, a girl named Ebuka was born December 8th, 1998, 15 weeks prematurely. A medical team was able to delay the other babies until their Caesarian delivery on December 20th. All the babies weighed less than two pounds. The smallest, a 10.3 ounce girl named Odera, died a week after birth. The remaining five girls and two boys are reportedly healthy at nine years old. There have been a few cases recorded of nontuplets conceived, but no incidences of any of the children surviving. Further Reading

Question: What is the largest recorded number of children born to one woman?
Answer: 69