A 17-year-old school girl has given birth to a set of triplets after antibiotics taken for a cold caused her contraceptive pill to fail.
The teenager, who lives in a German village, 35 miles outside of Berlin, delivered the babies, all girls, by Caesarean section at Berlin's Charite Hospital.
The teenager is the youngest known woman in modern times in Germany to successfully give birth to three children.
Identified only as 'Jennifer B' the girl has told reporters that she was on the Pill the but it failed when her GP gave her antibiotics for a severe cold.
She said: 'In April I started feeling really tired all the time and went back to the doctor. This time they gave me a scan – and three tiny dots inside me were babies.She told me the drugs I took for my cold had cancelled out the effects of the pill. I made a decision there and then; I want these babies.'
The babies are said to be healthy and well, and are due to be discharged from hospital in a few weeks. All were born within three minutes, with Nele first at 2lbs 2oz, Chantal at 2lb 5oz and finally Zoe at 2lb 6oz.
Jennifer said she will be raising her girls as a single mum: 'Their father is 22. I met him through an Internet chat room last year. When we made love in his apartment he was so romantic – he lit candles all over the place and spoke soft words into my ear. But when I told him about the babies he screamed, "You're kidding me. Get rid of them!" His words were like blows against my naked skin.'
Jennifer said her frandmother, Doris, 62, with whom she lives, told her: 'Don't worry, we'll manage without him.'
Doris will look after the babies whilst Jennifer returns to school.
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