Three baby boys feeding on the same placenta were born on the island of Crete in Greece early this morning, prompting doctors to comment on the rarity of the case.
According to doctors, it is rare to have triplets in three different amniotic sacs, feeding on the same placenta. They claim that this happens once in every 100,000 pregnancy cases.
The 33-year-old mother gave birth to the triplets early this morning. All three are healthy and they weigh between 1,200 and 1,400 grams.
According to creteplus, the woman was hospitalized in the Iraklio University Hospital and doctors were monitoring her case, fearing that there might be complications.
Obstetrician Stavros Sifakis, who was responsible for monitoring the woman’s pregnancy, said that he was there to monitor the possibility that one of the fetuses was “stealing” placenta blood from the others. He said that in many such cases, one fetus feeds more and the others are not developing as they should, thus generating serious pregnancy complications and most likely miscarriage. Dr. Sifakis said that it is a rare case of a “monozygotic, monochorionic, triamnionic pregnancy.”
The woman’s gynaecologist and the clinic director delivered the babies via caesarean section even though the pregnancy was 30 weeks along. The triplets were born prematurely but are healthy, the doctors said.
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