Mid-day

Mumbai, Feb 26: Prema Parmar (38) gave birth to triplets at a private clinic in Andheri last night. The case is unique as the three kids are of the same sex, weigh above two kgs and also that the embryos were carried to term.

City gynaecs say all three conditions rarely exist together and it happens once in 10,000 cases.

The triplets with doctors Ketaki and Jayesh Sheth

“This is indeed a unique case. Though triplets are born fairly regularly, there is often certain risk involved,” says Dr Akhil Pandya, a Kandivli-based gynaecologist.

He adds, “When there is more than one foetus, the weight of the baby is generally about 1 to 1.5 kgs. That each of them has a normal body weight is astounding.”

Agrees Dr Pratiksha Bhise, a Marine Lines-based gynaecologist. “I have never heard of triplets being born with the same sex. The case is intriguing.”

Nine doctors were involved in the operation and an ambulance was kept on stand-by in case of any emergency. 
 
Complications galore

Prema, a housewife, had to undergo intrauterine insemination as she could not conceive for a long time after marriage.

However, she started bleeding in the fourth month of pregnancy. “When that happens, there is every likelihood of losing at least one of the foetuses,” says Dr Ketaki Sheth, anaesthologist and one of the doctors involved in the operation.

Her enlarged cervical opening too had to be surgically treated. “The uterus cannot bear the weight of more than one child. We operated on her to avoid a miscarriage,” says Dr Jayesh Sheth, who has been treating Prema. As if that wasn’t enough, the to-be mother developed hypertension and blood pressure problems.

That all three boys survived and are “medically normal” is a miracle, say doctors.