Most Babies Born at Once Marked the First Nonuplet Survival

newborn baby — The Guinness World Record for the most babies to be born from a single pregnancy (and all survive) is a borderline unfathomable *nine*. Ana Sha / Shutterstock

The record for the most babies born at once isn’t just a marvel of biology. It’s also a story of medical science, survival, and hope.

Multiple births — triplets, quintuplets, etc. — have always been a wonder of sorts, and carrying and delivering large numbers of babies remains extremely rare.

Halima Cissé and the Nonuplets

In May 2021, a 25-year-old woman from Mali named Halima Cissé gave birth to nine babies — five girls and four boys — at the Ain Borja Clinic in Casablanca, Morocco. The birth was confirmed by the Guinness World Records as the most children delivered in a single birth to survive.

The babies were born via caesarean section at 30 weeks due to the high risks associated with multiple births. The premature birth required specialist care, but all nine children (referred to as nonuplets) survived and celebrated their first birthday in good health.

A Global First

Cissé’s case stands out not only for the number of children but also for their survival. Multiple pregnancies like this often involve complications such as low birth weight, infection, or delivery risks.

Newborn babies — Premies (babies born prematurely) typically need to be under close watch in the hospital before they can go home with their parents.
Bignai / Shutterstock

According to Guinness World Records, this was the first time a nonuplet birth led to the survival of all nine children.

Fertility treatments like in vitro fertilization can increase the chance of multiple births, though Cissé’s pregnancy was reported to have occurred naturally. The father, Adjudant Abdelkader Arby, and the entire family received international attention and medical support.

Other Large Multiple Births

Before Cissé, the previous record was held by Nadya Suleman, a woman in the U.S. who gave birth to eight babies in 2009: six boys and two girls. The case involved in vitro fertilization and received widespread media coverage.

In an unconfirmed case, a South African woman was reported to have given birth to 10 babies (seven boys and three girls) in 2021, but Guinness World Records has not verified this claim.

What Makes Multiple Births Possible?

Baby holding mom's hand — In short, modern medicine makes these little miracles possible. Ratchat / Shutterstock

Delivering large numbers of babies requires advanced hospital care, often involving cesarean section and round-the-clock specialist monitoring. Good maternal nutrition, early diagnosis, and hospital preparedness are critical.

The womb’s ability to carry that many fetuses to viability is rare, and survival is never guaranteed.

These stories highlight both the risks and the resilience of families and healthcare teams. As of today, Halima Cissé holds the official world record for the most babies born at once to survive.

We created this article in conjunction with AI technology, then made sure it was fact-checked and edited by a HowStuffWorks editor.