A Malian mother, Halima Cissé, and her husband, Abdelkader Arby, have made history by breaking the Guinness World Record for giving birth to nine healthy babies at once.
The extraordinary event took place on May 4, 2021, when Halima delivered the nonuplets. Initially, doctors had anticipated the birth of seven babies, but during her transfer to a specialized clinic in Morocco, two additional babies were detected.
The nonuplets, consisting of five girls and four boys, were delivered prematurely via a cesarean section during the 30th week of Halima’s pregnancy.
The newborns have been named Adama, Oumou, Hawa, Kadidia, Fatouma, Oumar, Elhadji, Bah, and Mohammed VI.
After their stay in Morocco, the mother and the babies have now returned to Mali. The Malian government provided support for Halima’s medical care and arranged for her to be flown to Morocco during her pregnancy.
Abdelkader Arby, the father of the nonuplets, expressed the challenges of caring for the children but also conveyed his faith and gratitude for the blessing they have received. The parents already had a 3-year-old daughter prior to the birth of the nonuplets.
This remarkable birth has captured global attention, with people around the world expressing astonishment at Halima’s ability to carry and deliver nine babies simultaneously. The Guinness World Record has officially recognized Halima Cissé’s delivery as the first recorded instance of a woman giving birth to nine babies at once.