Tunisian woman expecting 12 babies: reports

The woman, identified only by her initials of A.F. and said to be in her 30s, is pregnant with six girls and six boys in the southern region of Gafsa, the Echourouk newspaper said.

"She is doing well and so are her future babies," it said.

Her husband added: "She is very happy and is anxiously waiting to see all 12 bouncing healthily in her hands."

The woman has had two abortions and the children will be her first, reports said.

Tight security has been put in place around the future mother and a lawyer has been hired to deal with the media.

Health officials and social workers in Tunisia have already announced their intention to get involved in the case, the Essabah daily said.

In January, a 33-year-old woman in California gave birth to octuplets, an event which was initially hailed as a heart-warming miracle.

But delight turned to anger as it emerged the woman, Nadya Suleman, underwent in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) to conceive.

Unease grew when it came out the single mother already had six other children, all born through IVF, whereby eggs were fertilised in a laboratory by donor sperm and implanted in her womb.

(c) 2009 AFP