Enjoy them, it's a blessing says mother of octuplets

THE world's first set of octuplets to survive more than a few hours were born in Houston in Texas just over a decade ago.

The smallest of the eight died of lung and heart failure after a week but the surviving seven have grown up healthy and celebrated their 10th birthdays last month.

Today their mother Nkem Chukwu said she would pray for the Californian mother and her eight babies. "Just enjoy it. It's a blessing, truly a blessing.We'll keep praying for them."

Mrs Chukwu, who is from Nigeria, gave birth to six girls and two boys at Texas Children's Hospital in Houston in December 1998. The babies, who were born 15 weeks premature, weighed between 11 ounces and 1lb 11oz. The surviving babies, Ebuka, Gorom, Chidi, Chima and Echerem, and their brothers Ikem and Jioke, have all grown up fit and healthy and have a younger sister, Favor.

In 1996, Briton Mandy Allwood, lost eight babies when she went into labour at 19 weeks.