In one of the rarest of rare incidences, Alba, a US citizen, gave birth to two pairs of identical twins during her two consecutive pregnancies separated by just a few months. According to a press release from Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), Alba learned that she was expecting another set of twins around six months after her first set of twins, Levi and Luka were born.
At 25 weeks pregnant, Alba was admitted to the hospital’s High-Risk Obstetrics Unit due to her complications. She spent over 50 days in the facility. Due to the high risk of a stillbirth associated with such cases, the doctors decided to deliver the babies through a C-section much earlier than a normal delivery.
What are MoMo twins?
The term “MoMo” refers to monoamniotic monochorionic twins. They shared the same amniotic sac, placenta, and fluid that their predecessor had. According to the university, this type of twin is one of the rare types of twins that can occur.It is also known that these babies have a high risk of experiencing fetal complications.
The hospital’s team of doctors and nurses carried out regular monitoring of Alba’s condition to ensure that the babies were doing well. Due to Alba’s unusual pregnancy, medical students and residents were allowed to see her as a study subject. The babies were born at 32 weeks. The twins were born on October 25, 2022. They spent their first few months in the hospital’s newborn unit before they were discharged in December 2022.
In the press release, Alba said she was anxious about her upcoming journey and the possibility of being away from her sons for a long time, but knew she can rely on the hospital’s staff and her family.
According to Dr Rachel Sinkey, who is a part of the hospital’s obstetrics and gynaecology department, the girls defied all odds. The team-based care approach at UAB between maternal-fetal specialists, genetic counsellors, nurses and the NICU team greatly helped the outcome, said Dr Sinkey in the release.
