These days, it is not rare to see a family of three with one child or five with three children. However, in a glance at history through the years, one may see how several individuals went beyond the presupposed limits and ended up birthing dozens of children.
Genetic Evidence Suggests That a Patriarch Had an Unimaginable Number of Children
For one, a study published by the American Society of Human Genetics revealed genetic evidence related to the proliferation of a certain patriarch. The findings of this study showed that around 8% of males residing in the area from northeast China up until Uzbekistan had a Y-chromosome that is suggested to be connected to Genghis Khan.
This man founded the Mongol Empire. He lived from years 1162 CE up until 1227 CE and is said to have had 6 wives and 500 concubines.
To leave such a remarkable imprint means that an unsurmountable number of offspring is required. Considering the scope of those who harbor the specific Y-chromosome, it is still no surprise that geneticists think that around 16 million men share Khan's lineage. This, thus, makes Khan one of history's most prolific patriarchs.
One Woman in the 1700s Births 69 Children
On the side of women, the Guinness World Record notes that Mrs. Vassilyeva-the first wife of Feodor Vassilyev-is the most prolific mother to date. Tracing back to the 1700s, Mrs. Vassilyeva's records show that she birthed 69 children. Throughout her 27 series of childbirth, she bore four groups of quadruplets, seven groups of triplets, and sixteen pairs of twins.
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The Guinness World Record notes that despite how unlikely her pregnancy case is, Mrs. Vassilyeva's record is indeed true, which thus makes her the woman with the most children. The popular Record also notes that this historical fact regarding the number of infants birthed by a single woman should be taken lightly.
However, Guinness also mentions that Mrs. Vassilyeva may have been genetically predisposed to let out several eggs in a single cycle. This predisposition increases the likelihood of pregnancy with twins, triplets, or quadruplets.
Her record also mentioned that it is not impossible for a woman to undergo 27 different pregnancies during her fertile stage.
Multiple Pregnancies in the 21st Century
There are also cases of proliferation documented in the 21st century. Last 2019, Reuters reported that a Ugandan mother birthed 44 kids. Her children comprised six pairs of twins, four groups of triplets, and five groups of quadruplets.
After birthing the first pair of twins, Nabatanzi got checked up and found out that her ovaries had an unusually big size. The doctor told her that taking birth control remedies, such as pills, may lead to health complications. Thus, Nabatanzi was greeted with multiple births as the years went by.
The Bottom Line
There are still several other cases of documented and undocumented proliferation. However, all of these cited instances show how there are indeed people who have gone beyond the perceived limits of childbirth.
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