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Mother gives birth to identical triplets at odds of 150,000 to one
(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-05-13 12:58

A woman has given birth to naturally conceived identical triplet boys at odds of more than 150,000 to one.

Emma Spooner, 28, gave birth to sons Alfie, Sebastian and Zak by a planned Caesarean section on April 8 at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital.

Mother gives birth to identical triplets at odds of 150,000 to one
LtoR, Emma, Molly (8), Jacob (5) and Ken Spooner, with triplets LtoR, Alfie, Zak and Sebastian. [Agencies] 

The boys who were born six weeks before their due date stayed in hospital for eight days before going home to Cockley Cley, Norfolk.

They had a combined weight of nearly 15 lbs with Zak weighing 5lb 2oz, Sebastian at 4lb 12oz, and Alfie at 4lb 11oz.

Identical triplets occur when one fertilised egg splits to create three separate embryos. Non-identical triplets occur when three separate eggs are fertilised.

The Multiple Births Foundation estimates that triplets occur once in every 10,000 naturally conceived births, but the odds of identical triplets are 150,000 to 160,000.

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Mrs Spooner said: "It is quite amazing. It makes us feel quite special. They are each a bundle of joy. They are fantastic.

"We have a family history of twins, but nobody from either side of the family has had triplets before."

The couple and their two other children Molly, eight, and Jacob, five, are now getting to know the new arrivals.

Mrs Spooner admitted that telling them apart was sometimes still tricky and she is dressing them in different coloured clothes to differentiate.

"Zak is a bit bigger and has chubby cheeks so we call him chubber," she said.

"Alfie and Sebastian especially look very similar but they all have different phases of looking like each other. We make sure we dress them in different clothes.

"We want to make sure they each have their own identities."

The couple were only on Friday that the triplets were completely identical when doctors revealed the results of a test on the placenta.

Husband Ken Spooner said: "I am absolutely ecstatic about the triplets. I am very excited and looking forward to the future.

"It is getting harder to tell them apart though. I have been waiting to see some little facial differences but their noses, mouths, eyes and ears are all the same.