(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-04-18 09:12

TOWSON, Md. - A mother has given birth to a rare set of quadruplets in which three of the four boys are identical.

In this undated family photo provided Thursday, April 17, 2008 by the Greater Baltimore Medical Center, brothers Joshua Drew, Gavin Michael, Cody Benjamin and Logan Christopher are shown. A 32-year-old mother from Belcamp, Md. gave birth to the quadruplets on Jan. 29, 2008, and three of the four boys are identical. Logan Christopher, who is at the bottom of the '4', is not identical. The specific identification of the other boys is not available. The parents wish to remain unidentified until they introduce themselves and their boys at a news conference Friday, April 18, 2008. [Agencies]

The boys were born 11 weeks premature in January at Greater Baltimore Medical Center in Towson. The parents plan to introduce themselves and their boys at a news conference Friday.

There are fewer than 100 documented cases of "identical triplets plus one" in the United States, hospital officials said.

Two embryos were implanted into the mother, and both were fertilized, hospital spokesman Michael Schwartzberg said. One of them split, then split again, creating the identical triplets.

The boys were delivered by Caesarian section Jan. 29, their mother's 32nd birthday. Joshua Drew was born first, then Gavin Michael, Cody Benjamin and finally Logan Christopher, the non-identical one, Schwartzberg said.

The babies were treated at the hospital's neonatal intensive care unit, and all four have been home in Belcamp for about 2 1/2 weeks, Schwartzberg said.