Biggest Septuplet Is the First to Eat

The biggest of the world’s only septuplets was the first to eat, and a hospital official said a report expected to say whether any of them were identical was delayed. Kenneth Robert McCaughey, also the first of the four brothers and three sisters to breathe without mechanical help, took food other than intravenous fluids for the first time since their birth Wednesday. Hospital officials in Des Moines said Kenneth remained in fair condition while his smaller siblings, although still in serious condition and breathing with ventilator assistance, had also improved. The pathology report--expected to show whether any of the seven were identical--might not be completed for another week to 10 days.