Guinness World Records (GWR) has declared that the Bryant kids, nicknamed the “Quads of Aubs,” have become the most preterm quadruplets in history. The siblings, who recently celebrated their first birthday, set the record by showing up 115 days ahead of their scheduled delivery date of September 23, 2024.
The Tepper family of Australia had previously held the record, which they broke in 1997 when their quadruplets were born 104 days early.
“The Bryant family in Alabama hosted a very special first birthday party this 31 May, to celebrate their four children who just made history as the most premature quadruplets,” GWR shared in a news release.
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Becca and Lavareis Bryant welcomed their children, Lainey, Kali, Lennon, and Koen, into the world on May 31, 2024, at the University of Alabama at Birmingham hospital. Becca and her husband are parents to three older children.
“Hearing our babies were the most premature quads put into perspective how lucky we were that all of them made it,” Becca told WBRC.
“When Lainey, Kali, Lennon and Koen were born, they were 115 days premature,” she added. “Now, a year later, we were surrounded by family and friends to celebrate their first birthday.”
Becca’s cervix shortened, and she went into early labor. She had a trichorionic quadra-amniotic pregnancy, meaning that there were only three placentas rather than four. According to Guinness, her water broke, and she began to get an infection.
“I started getting pretty sick, pretty fast,” Becca recalled, speaking to Today. “And then it felt like just few minutes later, I was on the operating table. It was pretty emergent.”
On her delivery day in May 2024, 30 maternal-fetal and neonatology doctors were present to perform the quadruplets‘ emergency cesarean birth.
Each infant had a “separate team” in the delivery area to increase their chances of survival, according to Dr. Colm Travers, who spoke to Guinness World Records.
“The highest risk of complications and mortality for extremely preterm babies occurs during their first week of life,” Travers told WBRC.
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Specialized care was given to the neonates to help them by “minimizing complications… through that first critical week because it typically means a greater chance of survival and going home,” according to the doctor.
Becca waited 45 painful days until she could finally hold each quad. The babies were conceived naturally, which is incredibly rare. They spent around six months in the neonatal intensive care unit.
The smallest of the group, Lainey, weighed only 1 pound, 4 ounces, while Lennon weighed 1 pound, 7 ounces, making him the largest.
In December 2024, all of them were sent home within a few days of each other. Even though they still have challenges, the quadruplets have made significant progress.
Guinness mentioned that their father, Lavareis, is a twin. Multiples are quite common in his family, as his sister is also a mother of twins.
“People tell us, ‘If anyone was supposed to have quads, it was y’all,’” Becca, who is a cardiac intensive care unit nurse, told Today. Her husband is a police officer.
“We’re both very laid-back and chill, we just handle what needs to be handled,” she said. “In my job and my husband’s job [as a police officer], you don’t have time to panic. You have to react quickly and keep moving.”
Becca acknowledged her older kids for taking charge and frequently assisting with the 40 diaper changes they do each day on average. The family also does two loads of laundry per day for the babies only.
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