We all know about the miracles, both big and small, that happen here at Tufts Medical Center every day. Recently, The Boston Globe highlighted one of those stories as its G section cover story.
It’s an amazing and rare story of twin boys born here nearly a month apart, known as delayed interval delivery. Our Maternal-Fetal Medicine and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) staff played a crucial role in helping these babies repeatedly overcome incredible odds. The Globe calls it, “…One of the most successful delayed twin deliveries Boston doctors can recall.…”
Although originally due on June 18, the amniotic sac around one of the babies broke on February 26, three-and-a-half months early. Their mom, Lindalva Pinheiro DaSilva was transferred here from Cambridge Health Alliance. Our highly skilled staff safely delayed the baby’s birth for four more days. Tiny Alexandre was born on March 2, at 24 weeks, 5 days. He was immediately placed in our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
Because the amniotic sac around the second baby did not break and labor stopped, our Chief of Maternal-Fetal Medicine Sabrina Craigo, MD made the decision with the mother to delay his birth for as long as possible. Lindalva stayed here for 24 more days before baby Ronaldo was born on March 26 at 28 weeks and joined his brother in the NICU.
According to the Globe story, “Delayed twin deliveries are so rare they are not closely counted. In the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology, two large medical centers in Virginia and Tennessee reported just 14 cases over 12 years, out of 96,922 deliveries.”
The length of time between deliveries makes it even more unusual, and rarer still, both boys not only survived, they are doing very well. They now weigh nearly the same and will be going home soon with Mom and Dad.
Please take time to read the story >
