Nigeria, March 25 -- At about 10 p.m. on 21 February 2024, Kehinde Ogundipe suddenly went into labour, unaware of the shock that awaited her.

The herbal tea seller from Obele, a border community in Ohunbe Ward of Yewa North Local Government Area in Ogun State, south-west Nigeria, had gone through her pregnancy without a single antenatal visit, relying instead on traditional herbs-just as she had done for her previous children.

But on this particular night, everything took an unexpected turn. Without any medical assistance, Mrs Ogundipe delivered not one, not two, but four babies-three boys and one girl, in her home.

She did not know she was carrying quadruplets, and by the time the last baby arrived, panic had set in. Realising the urg...