NEW DELHI: In an unusual occurrence, a 37-year-old woman from Ghaziabad, who had undergone in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment, has delivered triplets at full term at Moolchand hospital in Delhi.
The woman conceived triplets following an IVF procedure at the hospital after 10 years of marriage, said Dr Tuhina Goel, a consultant gynecologist at the hospital.
The incidence of triplets pregnancy is around 1 in 10,000 cases and that of three babies delivering at full term is almost 1 in lakhs, the exact statistics of which have not even been reported yet.
The pregnancy was extremely high risk as the mother in such cases is susceptible to developing complications such as premature delivery, anaemia, hypertension, and gestational diabetes, the doctor said.
“The couple had come to me after 10 years of marriage and a previously failed IVF treatment at a different clinic. We carried out the IVF treatment on her and she successfully conceived triplets in her first attempt,” Dr Goel stated, adding that she was kept under observation throughout the pregnancy.
In a release, the hospital said, “With aggressive antenatal screening, we were able to prevent all such complications and deliver all three babies at term uneventfully by Cesarean Section on 28th March.”
The closure of labs and elective procedures due to Covid-19 had made it challenging for the doctors as well as the couple, she said.
The women had delivered two male and one female baby weighing 2 kg and 1.8 kg and 1.1 kg, respectively.
Studies show that while multiple gestations are common, there is a high risk of premature birth depending on the fertility treatment used.
According to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, half of all twins and 90 per cent of all triplets are born prematurely, leaving them at a greater risk of developing health problems such as weak lungs, risk of bleeding in the brain, cerebral palsy, and even death.