Posted By :  Admin1

Chennai: Twin sisters, hailed as "miracle babies," were given a second chance at life by doctors at a Chennai hospital. Born prematurely at just 24 weeks, weighing 620 gm (twin 1) and 720 gm (twin 2), they underwent surgeries for hernia and a congenital heart defect. The doctors at Cloudnine Hospital, Chennai, shared that the babies relied on ventilator support for two months. Dr. Dhilip Kumar S, Senior Consultant Neonatologist and Paediatrician at Cloudnine Group of Hospitals, Chennai, OMR branch, mentioned that both twins faced critical conditions early on, battling chronic lung disease and other complications. Despite doubts about their survival, the twins' resilience, along with the doctors' patience and perseverance, proved instrumental in their journey to recovery. The twin girls were born to a couple in Chennai who had faced several unsuccessful attempts at pregnancy. The mother, aged 36, encountered complications including an incompetent cervix, chronic hypertension, fever, and amniotic fluid leakage. Despite undergoing cervical cerclage at the 15th week of pregnancy to temporarily close the cervix, it prematurely opened, weakened, and shortened at 24 weeks while carrying twin babies. Throughout the pregnancy, she battled persistent high blood pressure and fever. The babies, weighing 520 gm (twin 1) and 590 gm (twin 2) at birth, experienced breathing difficulties and required ventilator support. Both twins remained unresponsive, with their eyes closed for the initial two weeks, and measured a little over 13 inches in length. Twin 1 was diagnosed with stage 4 chronic lung disease, enduring multiple lung collapses and unsuccessful attempts to remove the breathing tube, leading to a prolonged need for oxygen for 90 days in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). She was also found to have an inguinal hernia due to underdeveloped abdominal wall muscles, requiring corrective surgery. Twin 2 didn't cry at birth and showed signs of a low heart rate and skin bleeding. An echocardiogram revealed a significant patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), a congenital heart defect where the ductus arteriosus fails to close after birth. Despite attempts at medical intervention, Twin 2 required open-heart surgery to address the condition. After a 105-day hospital stay, the twins were discharged weighing 2.2 kg (Twin 1) and 2.3 kg (Twin 2) respectively, to return home, according to the doctors.