Italian woman gives birth to sextuplets

A 30-year-old Italian woman gave birth to four baby girls and two boys today, the largest multiple birth in Italy since 2003.

The mother and babies all are in good health following the caesarian birth in the southern city of Benevento, near Naples, Italian news agencies reported.

However, the children were born after just 29 weeks of pregnancy and weigh between 610 and 800 grams. All are on assisted breathing apparatus.

Doctors said the multiple birth probably was due to fertility treatment taken by the woman, and not due to in vitro fertilisation.

Italian law prohibits more than three embryos to be transferred into the womb.