Halima Cissé is a Malian woman who made global headlines after giving birth to nine babies—nonuplets—on May 4, 2021, in Casablanca, Morocco. This extraordinary event marked the first known case in medical history where all nine babies survived beyond birth. The nonuplets—five girls and four boys—were delivered prematurely via caesarean section at 30 weeks, with each baby weighing between 500 grams and 1 kilogram (1.1 to 2.2 pounds). The family was transferred from Mali to Morocco for specialized medical care due to the high-risk nature of the pregnancy.

What Caused the Nonuplets?

Surprisingly, Halima Cissé’s pregnancy was entirely natural, with no fertility treatments like IVF involved. Although the specific cause of the nonuplets is unknown, high-order multiple births can occasionally occur naturally due to hyperovulation, a condition where a woman releases multiple eggs during a single ovulation cycle.

Early Life and Medical Care

After their birth on May 4, 2021, in Casablanca, Morocco, the nonuplets—five girls and four boys—were placed in incubators and received specialized medical care due to their premature birth at 30 weeks. The Malian government facilitated their transfer to Morocco for this purpose. The family resided in a specially equipped apartment provided by the clinic, where nurses assisted Halima in caring for the babies. They remained in Morocco for 19 months before returning to Mali in December 2022.

Daily Routine and Parenting

Raising nine children simultaneously presents unique challenges. Halima and her husband, Abdelkader Arby, have described their daily routine as demanding yet rewarding. The family reportedly uses an average of 45 diapers per day and consumes about 15 kilograms of milk each week. To manage the children's energy and keep them calm, they often watch cartoons together. Halima has mentioned that putting all the children to sleep at the same time is difficult, and they often require cuddles to fall asleep.

Other High-Order Multiple Births Around the World

Halima Cissé’s case is one of the rarest in the world, but it is not the first time multiple births have stunned the global medical community. Here are a few other notable instances:

Nadya Suleman (USA, 2009): Often referred to as “Octomom,” Suleman gave birth to octuplets (eight babies) in California through IVF. All eight children survived, marking the first such occurrence in the U.S.

The Chukwu Octuplets (USA, 1998): Born in Houston, Texas, to Nigerian parents, this was the first known set of octuplets in which seven survived infancy.

Diana and Keith Gosselin (USA, 2004): Parents of the well-known sextuplets from the show Jon & Kate Plus 8, their children were all conceived through fertility treatment.

Malaysia (1999): A woman gave birth to nonuplets, but none of the babies survived more than a few hours.

Australia (1971): Another recorded case of nonuplets, with a similarly tragic outcome—all nine babies died shortly after birth.