The Arizona Daily Star this week reported on the Alston family of Tucson , which tripled its size on Sept. 26 with the birth of their quadruplets, Drew, Audrey, Cass and Ava.
Alicia Alston, 29, gave birth at Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center in Phoenix — a hospital she and husband, Brandon, selected because of multiple birth specialist Dr. John Elliot. They chose Elliot after several referrals from friends and acquaintances, and online research.
Alicia arrived in Phoenix during her 22nd week of pregnancy. The babies were born in her 32nd week.
The reason they sought medical care in Phoenix rather than Tucson is because quadruplet births are so rare — 276 nationwide in 2012 — and because Elliot is so specialized.
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"Dr. Elliot is one of a few national experts in the care and management of multiple births, such as triplets and quadruplets," said Elizabeth Maish, chief nursing officer at Tucson Medical Center, which delivers more babies than any other Southern Arizona hospital.
Maish says that while TMC officials have immense respect for Elliot's work, the required level and quality of care for delivering twins, triplets and quadruplets is available locally.
 "In fact, although quadruplets are increasingly rare, we have the capacity to deliver them safely, as does the University of Arizona Medical Center," Maish said.
"These mothers and infants may have specialty medical needs and Tucson does have access to those specialties."
Maish said TMC helps five or six families a year welcome their triplets into the world. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says there were 4,598 triplet births in the U.S. in 2012, the most recent available data.
