It's a story as rare as it is frightening, but with a happy outcome, rest assured. In April 2022, Laura, a young Irish woman, found out she was pregnant with twins. But a few weeks into her pregnancy, doctors told her that both fetuses were suffering from Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome (TTS), which imbalances the blood flow between babies and can lead to their deaths.
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Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome (TTS)
Laura underwent an operation to rebalance the blood flow to the two fetuses. An operation that did not prevent her from giving birth prematurely, at just 23 weeks' gestation. Laura spoke to The Mirror about this distressing birth. She explained:
I was given no choice but to give birth. They were killing each other in the womb. I was told there was nothing I could do and that I risked losing them both, or that I would have to undergo surgery with a 30% survival rate. I was even asked if I wanted to terminate the pregnancy.
An induced birth
The young mother gave birth to twin girls, Meabh, who weighed 500 grams and Clodagh,1.3 kg. She told The Mirror:
Seeing them intubated the next day felt surreal. I felt numb, in shock and denial. I couldn't believe they were my babies.
Today, the little girls arein perfect health. Laura concluded:
Meabh is very laid-back and has fun rolling around on the floor, while Clodagh loves to cuddle. Whenever they're together, they hold hands, play or interact in any other way. They have an obvious connection and it's incredible to see.
This article has been translated from Gentside FR.
Read more:
⋙ This woman gave birth to two children in two days in the rarest of pregnancies: 'Miracle babies'
⋙ This woman discovered her twins have different fathers: What is Heteropaternal Superfecundation?
⋙ This couple had biracial twins twice in a row, and entered the Guinness World Records
Sources used:
The Mirror: EXCLUSIVE: 'My twins were killing each other in the womb - they were saved by a miracle'