US woman gives birth to octuplets

Octuplets mother Chukwu said the new parents had much to look forward t A US woman has given birth to eight babies, becoming just the second person recorded in the US to have delivered a set of living octuplets. The six boys and two girls, who were nine weeks premature, were delivered by caesarean section in the hospital in Los Angeles, California. The babies, who weighed in at between 1.8lbs (820g) and 3.4lbs each, are all said to be doing well. They were screaming and kicking around very vigorously, a doctor said. The mother, whose identity has not been revealed, has asked that limited information be released about the births. Medical team describe a 'successful' delivery A hospital spokeswoman described the deliveries, which took place in the space of five minutes, as "truly amazing". Three of the babies needed help breathing, but all were otherwise doing well, a doctor said. The babies will be in incubators for at least six weeks and the mother is planning to breast feed them all, the hospital officials said. 'Just enjoy it' [read more]

Half of wounded Gaza children disabled

Mon, 26 Jan 2009 08:35:52 GMT

A report shows more than half of the wounded children have been disabled due to Israeli attacks during the 23-day war against Gaza.

A report reveals that half of the Palestinian children wounded during the 23-day Israeli attacks on Gaza have been permanently disabled.

The report conducted by the Algerian Authority for Developing Health and Research says that 50 percent of the children wounded are now classified as disabled.

According to the UN figures, 460 Palestinian children were killed and 1,855 others were wounded during the Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip.

The study, which is based on the findings of an Algerian media team in Gaza, also found that almost 800,000 Palestinian children suffer from mental health disorders caused by the Israeli offensive on Gaza.

The report by the Algerian organization comes as the UN Children's Fund has announced that children are the main victims of the Israeli offensive into Gaza.

"Each day more children are being hurt, their small bodies wounded, their young lives shattered. This is tragic. This is unacceptable," said UNICEF executive director Ann Veneman in a statement.

UN special expert Richard Falk also said that '46 percent of all Gaza children' suffered from acute anemia and many others are dealing with hearing disorders, deafness as well as mental disorders.

Apart from the consequences of the 23-day war, the Israeli siege of Gaza has also put the lives of many children at stake. Children in the Gaza Strip are denied of basic rights, including access to food, medicine and health care.