Israel’s first quintuplets, born in Hadassah Hospital on Friday, are doing fine and the legal problem created by their birth has been solved. The problem stemmed from the lack of any provisions in the National Insurance Law for quintuplets. It was decided, however, that their mother, 23-year-old Mrs. Hadassah Berman, will receive one grant for twins and another for triplets.
The infants–three girls and two boys–weighed from one pound eight ounces to two pounds 14 ounces at their delivery by Caesarean section in the seventh month of pregnancy. Doctors said the five babies were considered above the borderline weight for survival. Mrs. Berman had been taking fertility pills which were said to have accounted for the multiple births. Her husband, Yitzhak Berman, owns a shop that manufactures flags and pennants. Asked if he could support his instant family of five. Berman replied, “Don’t worry, I won’t stage a sit-down strike at the welfare bureau.”
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
