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Fall 2008 Double and Triple Vision
June 30, 2008Parents: Natalie and Tim Cronin Fraternal Twins: Maura, 5 lbs., 1 ounce, born 8:23 p.m. Ciara, 5 lbs., 3 ounces, born 8:25 p.m. Delivered by Dr. Suleika Just-Buddy Michel 
JUNE 30, 2008Parents: Jennifer and Mehdi Rezakhan Fraternal Twins: Marisa, 7 lbs., 2 ounces, born 8:20 a.m. Maya, 6 lbs., 2 ounces, born 8:21 a.m. Delivered by Drs. Lawrence Prichep and Margaret Keith 
July 1, 2008Parents: Yvonne Borressen and Victor Coward Fraternal Twins: William, 5 lbs., 2 ounces, born 10:30 p.m. Juliana, 5 lbs., 4 ounces, born 10:31 p.m. Delivered by Dr. Claudia Hays Everyone was seeing double and triple at the end of June and early July in AAMC’s labor and delivery unit, when six sets of twins and one set of triplets were born in less than 48 hours. “I can’t remember this many multiples at one time,” said JOSEPH MORRIS, M.D., AAMC’s staff obstetrician-gynecologist hospitalist, who has been delivering babies for 28 years. “We have had three or four sets here before, but six is the most I’ve seen,” added JESSICA LEWIS, R.N., who has worked on the mother-baby unit for four years. “We really didn’t do anything different on the unit, other than try to make assignments as fair as possible for the nurses who care for the twins.” The night before her 19-week ultrasound, Jennifer Rezakhan of Millersville dreamt she was having twins. The confirmation of her dream less than a day later left her in a happy daze, even with toddler Isabella just 18 months old. “There are twins on my husband’s aunt’s side, but none on mine,” said Mrs. Rezakhan. “This just happened naturally.” Her daughters, Marisa and Maya are fraternal twins. Natalie Cronin of Severna Park, mother of 2-year-old Tadhg (Gaelic for Timothy), was thrilled to be pregnant with fraternal twin girls. “We have three under 3,” she laughs. Husband Tim quickly adds, “And, we’re done!” Yvonne Borressen and Victor Coward of Odenton welcomed a son and daughter late in the day on July 1. Her pregnancy went to 35 weeks, just a few weeks shy of a full-term pregnancy. “We used fertility treatment,” said Mr. Coward, “and we’re happy we have twins and not triplets!” Dr. Morris notes that the multiple birth rate for women who do not undergo fertility treatment is about 3 percent. Four of the six sets of twins were the result of spontaneous fertility, without the use of fertility treatment, and two were through in vitro fertilization. The triplets were conceived with a method called intrauterine insemination, a procedure in which the sperm is inserted into the uterus with a catheter. In the last 20 years, thanks to the success of fertility drugs and in vitro fertilization, the rate has soared to 50 percent for twins and 400 percent for triplets, Dr. Morris said, adding: “Recently, infertility specialists have gotten much more precise and successful at what they do as technology has improved, and the risk of multiples more than twins has declined.” Because any multiple birth is considered a high-risk pregnancy, AAMC’s Level IIIb Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is imperative for the babies, who do not have to be transferred to another hospital if they have health issues. “We have a great NICU,” said Dr. Morris, “so people want to come here for that added security.” |
