KNH responds after a mother loses all the quintuplets

Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) has come out to explain the circumstances that led to the death of the Quintuplets after mounting public scrutiny.

The five babies had been referred to KNH from Thika Level Five Hospital for specialised tertiary care following their premature birth.

In a statement on September 16, KNH said the quintuplets were born at 25 weeks of pregnancy, a situation that presented significant challenges requiring specialised newborn care from admission.

The hospital explained that the babies also had critically low birth weights, further complicating their condition and increasing the challenges faced by medical teams.

“The babies were born at an extremely premature gestational age of 25 weeks and with critically low birth weights, presenting significant clinical challenges from the time of admission,” KNH stated. 

The newborns were transferred to KNH, weighing between 630 and 800 grams, well below the average weights of 3.3 kg for boys and 3.2 kg for girls, with a normal full-term range of 2.5 kg to 4.5 kg. 

A multidisciplinary neonatal team cared for the newborns, with neonatologists, nurses, and allied health professionals working together throughout their admissions. The team provided specialised care to the babies and supported them while doctors monitored their condition at the hospital.

Despite the medical attention provided, KNH confirmed that all five newborns eventually passed away while receiving care at the specialised facility.

Being a national referral and teaching hospital, KNH receives patients from health facilities across the country who require specialised care.

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Patients are referred to KNH when they need advanced diagnostics, complex surgery, or intensive management for severe illnesses that may be beyond the capacity of lower-level facilities.

Referrals may also occur when hospitals and clinics lack the specialised equipment, medicines, or medical personnel required to manage critical conditions.

With the transfer of the newborns to KNH, Thika Town MP Alice Ng’ang’a and MP George Koimburi of Juja have criticised the Kiambu County Government, arguing that better neonatal facilities could have reduced risks associated with emergency referrals to Nairobi.

The legislators said regional hospitals such as Thika Level Five should have advanced incubators and specialised neonatal infrastructure to manage extremely premature babies, potentially reducing the need for transfers during critical emergencies.

Meanwhile, comedian and philanthropist Eric Omondi has rallied support for the grieving family, mobilising Kenyans to assist the mother with funeral and medical expenses while calling for improvements in emergency newborn care under the ‘Sisi Kwa Sisi’ campaign.

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