Twins, triplets and statistics

Your news item captioned “Mother beats odds of 500,000: gives birth to third set of twins” (D.M. International of 04/06) reminds me of the mother who brought her third set of twins which she had successively delivered, for attention at the Rambukkana wellbaby clinic. Of more recent vintage was the mother from Minuwangoda who brought her set of 15 day old triplets to me in Gampaha. In her first pregnancy, she gave birth to one kid, in the next-twins, and in the third to triplets. Half a dozen kids, four girls, two boys all under five years of age in one family unit! When I asked the mother as to how she fed the triplets, she said her neighbours had helped her financially upto date but she was uncertain of the future. Her husband earned less than Rs.100/= per day selling ekel brooms. When I suggested that if her plight were given publicity in the media some may offer to give a helping hand, she pleaded with me not to pursue that line, as she was already inundated with offers to buy her children for adoption, for sums around Rs.50,000/= each. Living away from her children would be the last thing she would ever do she averred. I appreciated her tenacity, and the commendable human disposition. Fortunately, a milk food importing firm stepped in with an offer to supply one full year’s infant milk powder free. This they did unfailingly - thirty packets a month, supplied through our clinic. Thereafter a generous lady took over the task of helping the family including the supply of schooling needs in later years.

The triplets are now 14 years old, and the mother who still works as a casual labourer earning less than Rs.400/= a day is proud of her children’s academic achievements. Since this news item referred to statistics, may I query as to what chances there are of another female emulating the record set by the mother of the triplets?

Dr. A.G. Abeywickrama Colomb0 5