IOWA CITY, Iowa - The state where the McCaughey septuplets were born has recorded an even rarer multiple birth: identical quadruplets conceived without fertility drugs.

And to top it off, the birth of Kimberly and Daniel Grady's daughters was followed by the birth of another set of quadruplets a day later - at the same facility, University Hospitals here.

"This has been quite a couple of days," said Dr. Ed Bell, director of neonatology.

Dr. Jerome Yankowitz, head of the hospitals' division of maternal and fetal medicine, said conceiving identical quadruplets without using fertility drugs is rarer than conceiving septuplets with fertility drugs.

"The odds are at least one in 100 million and possibly greater," he said.

The Gradys' four identical girls were delivered Wednesday, 14 weeks premature. They are: Ashley Irene, 1 pound, 15 ounces; Lindsey Lucille, 1 pound, 12 ounces; Kara Colleen, 1 pound, 11 ounces; and Alyssa Anne, 1 pound, 9 ounces. The Gradys are from Cedar Rapids.

On Thursday, Mike and Jody Eastridge - who conceived through in vitro fertilization - had one boy and three girls, born eight weeks premature. Katie weighed 3 pounds, 9 ounces; Amanda, 4 pounds, 3 ounces; Emily, 4 pounds, 2 ounces; and Chad, 5 pounds, 6 ounces.

All eight newborns were in good condition yesterday.

Last November, Bobbie and Kenny McCaughey became parents of fraternal septuplets in Des Moines. Conceived with the help of fertility drugs, the seven McCaugheys are among only three sets of septuplets worldwide known to have survived.

© 1998 The Seattle Times Company