The average gestation for a quadruplet pregnancy is 28 to 31 weeks, as opposed to 40 weeks for a full-term baby. During a pregnancy with quadruplets, a mother will gain 40-100 pounds. According to MOST, the average weight gain is over fifty pounds. One-quarter of mothers will require cervical cerclage, a surgical procedure in which the cervix is sewn shut to prevent preterm labor.
Most quadruplet pregnancies result in a cesarean delivery; less than 3% of quadruplets are delivered vaginally, according to MOST. The average birth weight of a quadruplet is about 3 1/4 pounds, and most quadruplets receive medical care in a hospital NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) for an average of one month after they are born.
Quadruplets are much rarer than twins or triplets. As of 2007, there were approximately 3556 sets recorded worldwide. Quadruplet births are becoming increasingly common due to fertility treatments. There are around 70 sets of all-identical quadruplets worldwide. Many sets of quadruplets contain a mixture of identical and fraternal siblings, such as three identical and one fraternal, two identical and two fraternal, or two pairs of identicals. One famous set of identical quadruplets was the Genain quadruplets, all of whom developed schizophrenia. Quadruplets are sometimes referred to as "quads" in Britain.
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