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In certain instances, it is evident that misinformation is created and disseminated on social media by exploiting sensitive issues and presenting unverified claims as factual events. Below, we present a fact-check of a post about the reported birth of twins that people have repeatedly shared across social media platforms.
Social Media Posts:
A social media post claimed that a Tamil mother had given birth to nine twin girls at Kurunegala General Hospital and conveyed wishes for the excellent health of both the mother and the children.
The relevant post circulated rapidly across social media; presented below are several related posts shared in connection with it:
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Below is the fact-check conducted to determine the accuracy of this claim.
Fact Check:
If a mother had given birth to nine sets of twins, mainstream media outlets would likely have reported on such a rare occurrence. However, our fact-checking did not find any such reporting.
We then contacted Kurunegala Teaching Hospital to verify the claim.
Kurunegala Hospital
The senior medical officer of the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Unit at Kurunegala Hospital, Dr Waruni Herath, stated that the information circulating on social media is entirely fabricated, confirming that no such twin birth has occurred at Kurunegala Hospital.
A month ago, social media circulated a series of similar false posts claiming that a mother had given birth to eight twins at the Kandy General Hospital. We also investigated the handful of incidents of multiple twin births around the world and confirmed that the highest number of babies reported in a single multiple birth in Sri Lanka to date is six, which occurred back in 2013. Full article below.
Did a mother give birth to eight babies at the Kandy National Hospital?
Join us as we explore our fact-checking efforts.
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Conclusion:
Our investigation indicates that the social media posts claiming a mother had given birth to nine twins at Kurunegala Hospital are false. The hospital has confirmed that no such birth has taken place.
Title: False social media claim that a mother gave birth to nine sets of twin girls at Kurunegala Teaching Hospital
Fact Check By: Pavithra Hansani
Result: False
