A 65-year-old German woman who already has 13 children has given birth to quadruplets after undergoing an artificial insemination procedure in Ukraine.

Annegret Raunigk had three boys named Dries, Bence and Fjonn, and one girl named Neeta, who were born premature at 26 weeks in a Berlin hospital but have “good chances of surviving”.

“However the babies, in comparison with a normal birth in the 40th week, are not completely developed, so eventual complications can’t be ruled out,” RTL television reported.

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Ms Raunigk lives in Berlin and is an English and Russian teacher who is close to retirement. In addition to her children, she is grandmother to seven.

RTL said the new arrivals made her the world’s oldest mother of quadruplets.

She became pregnant after undergoing several artificial insemination procedures in Ukraine.

Ms Raunigk made headlines in April when the German press first reported that her latest artificial insemination attempt had resulted in a quadruple pregnancy.

At the time, she said she decided to try to have another child because her youngest daughter, who is nine, wanted a little brother or sister.

‘Children keep me young’

The Bild am Sonntag tabloid quoted Ms Raunigk, whose oldest daughter is 44, recalling that it was “a shock” when the doctors first broke the news to her that she was expecting quadruplets.

“After the doctor discovered there were four, I had to give it some thought to begin with,” she said.

But she did not consider reducing the number of embryos and said she had no reservations about the challenge facing her.

“I’m not actually afraid. I simply assume I’ll remain healthy and fit. In matters of organisation I have enough experience, that’s not new for me,” she was quoted as saying.

Asked about moral doubts, she said: “How does one have to be at 65? One must apparently always fit some cliches which I find rather tiring.”

“I think, one must decide that for oneself.”

Ms Raunigk made also headlines 10 years ago when she gave birth to her 13th child, Lelia, at the age of 55.