The mother, a 29 year old music teacher from Russia, has been under the care of the Oxford Fetal Medicine Unit at the John Radcliffe Hospital, after discovering she was pregnant with quintuplets. Doctors in Russia had apparently urged her to have selective terminations. She declined on personal religious grounds and sought the opinion of experts in Oxford.
The mother’s relatives contacted Mr Lawrence Impey, who specialises in caring for mothers with high risk pregnancies. Under his team’s care, the woman has successfully given birth (by Caesarean section) to five little girls 14 weeks early. Their weights range from 1 lb 13oz to 2lb 2oz .
This is the first time for over a decade that quins have been born in the UK. Live births of such a high number of babies are rare. The risks to the mother are considerable and the majority will either miscarry or the babies will be born so early they cannot survive. In the UK, changes to fertility treatment guidance have reduced the number of births of 3 or more babies in recent years. The mother was particularly high risk, and has received the intensive treatment to prevent her from delivering sooner.
Mr Impey said: “I’m very pleased to be able to help this delightful family and that they asked The John Radcliffe Hospital to look after them. Mother is recovering well and the babies are doing well.”
Staff at the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals are delighted to be part of something so unusual and have volunteered to work extra shifts. All medical costs have been met by a group of philanthropists from Russia who have agreed to support the family in their endeavour to be treated in the UK. Consultant paediatricians specialising in the care of newborn babies, Professor Andrew Wilkinson and Dr Eleri Adams and a team of 18 other doctors and nurses were present for the delivery and immediate management of the babies, who are now all in the Intensive Care Nursery. For the delivery, the clinicians worked in five teams, each taking care of one of the babies.
Caring for babies born extremely preterm is highly skilled and the hospital has a renowned Special Care Baby Unit. Because of the huge demands placed by five preterm babies, other major hospitals in the South of England were contacted before delivery and agreed to share the burden if necessary. A team from Queen Charlotte’s Hospital in London offered to help, and two of the babies have now been transferred into their care.
The babies will be cared for in the UK until they are strong and well enough to return to Russia with their parents.
The Chief Executive of Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals, Trevor Campbell Davis, said: “We are pleased to be able to give the care and support the family needed. The Fetal Medicine Unit and the Neonatal Unit are recognised internationally as centres of expertise and excellence for the care of high risk pregnant mothers and their babies. We are also grateful to Queen Charlotte’s Hospital in London, who are now caring for two of them.”
ENDS
Notes to editors:
1. For more information or to arrange an interview with a consultant please contact: Helen Peggs or Alison Barnes 01865 228 932 / 07900 915 331
2. The babies are all in intensive care, and the parents do not wish to take part in further publicity at this stage. A selection of photographs is available and short video clips of the mother, father and babies are also available from the above contact number.
3. Regular condition checks will be issued to the press over the next few days.
Contact: Media & Communications Office
Contact Details: 01865 228932