Woman who gave birth to five babies appeals for support

Oct 22, 2018

She needs support from more than two care takers and preferably a nurse to care for the babies at home

A woman who recently gave birth to quintuplets has appealed to the public for financial and social support.

Honoranta Nakato, 44, who prematurely delivered the babies a month ago at Women's Hospital, International and Fertility Center in Bukoto, needs support as together with her husband who is a teacher cannot afford to take care of the children.

Nakato, who lost one of her breasts to cancer, is grappling with the high cost of formula milk.

She said the babies' feeding demands have increased and in a day they consume a tin of formula milk costing about sh55,000.

Nakato also needs support from more than two care takers and preferably a nurse to care for the babies at home.

akato in hospital with her relatives hoto by gnes yotalengerireNakato in hospital with her relatives. Photo by Agnes Kyotalengerire

 

Although Nakato knew she was carrying five babies, she did not set up income generating projects.

The revelations were made on Friday afternoon when Nakato was being discharged from the hospital after doctors confirmed that the babies were in good health and can survive at home.

Rehmah Birungi a neonatal nurse said that at birth, the children weighed between 1.34 and 1.87kg and were kept in incubators. One of them had breathing difficulties while the other had jaundice.

The babies were feeding through a nasogastric tube and could only consume two milligrams of milk after two hours.

Dr Joan Nakimera of the children's unit at the hospital said the babies have progressed very well in the last five weeks following birth. The babies are now able to feed 60mg of milk after two hours.

Compared to the birth weight, Nakimera said each baby has gained an equivalent of a kilogram.  For instance the heaviest baby weighed 1.8 kg at birth and now she weighs 2.8 kg.

She attributed the good state of health the dedicated nurses who have ensured good precaution measures which has helped to guard against infections.

urses attend to the babies in the special care unit of the hospital hoto by gnes yotalengerireNurses attend to the babies in the special care unit of the hospital. Photo by Agnes Kyotalengerire

 

Nakimera said the hospital medical team will follow up the babies after a week. Later they will conduct routine check-ups every month.

Medical insurance   

Before Nakato was discharged, the hospital staff gave her gifts that included cartons of formula milk, diapers and one year medical insurance for the children.

The hospital managing director, Kate Ssali, said the package is meant to support Nakato kick-start her journey of caring for the quintuplets.

Flanked by her sisters and relatives, the overjoyed Nakato expressed gratitude for the support the hospital staff and Good Samaritans all over the country had rendered her.

"People have been travelling from different parts of the country to see me and some carried gifts such as clothes and beddings" she narrated full of excitement.

The babies share one single surname, Kirabo meaning a gift from God. In addition, she has given the babies first names in order of birth: Rhoda, Rowena, Rodine, Raymond and Racheal.

Nakato a mathematics teacher at Ndeeba Senior Secondary School in Kayunga district gave birth by the aid of in-vitro fertilisation after she had endured 25 years of infertility following complications arising from a miscarriage.

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