quintuplets

Quintuplets are five offspring born from the same pregnancy. In common usage the term can refer to a set of five siblings born at once or, more broadly, to any five related items grouped together. The word derives from Latin quintuple and the diminutive suffix -et, meaning fivefold.

In humans, quintuplets are extremely rare when conceived naturally. Spontaneous quintuplets occur with very low probability, on the order of a few in several million pregnancies. The use of fertility treatments has increased the incidence of high-order multiples, including quintuplets. Such pregnancies are considered high risk and frequently deliver prematurely. Multiple births raise the likelihood of complications for both mother and babies, including preterm birth, low birth weight, breathing difficulties, and long neonatal hospitalizations. Advances in obstetric and neonatal care have improved survival, but outcomes depend on birth gestational age and weight.

Historically notable quintuplets include the Dionne Quintuplets, five sisters born in 1934 in Ontario, Canada, who became widely publicized and for a time lived under media attention. Since then, quintuplets and other high-order multiple births have continued to occur, often associated with fertility treatment and assisted reproduction, with ongoing social, ethical, and medical considerations.

In music, a quintuplet is a rhythmic grouping of five notes played in the time normally occupied by four notes (in simple meters) or, less commonly, three notes. It is typically notated with a bracket and the numeral 5 above or below the notes. Quintuplets appear across many styles as a device for rhythmic variety or to fit irregular tempos.