Rare identical triplets born
In this day of abundant In vitro fertilization, it is rare to hear of naturally conceived triplets, let alone this. From BBC News, May 12:
A 28-year-old mother from Norfolk has more than doubled the size of her family with the birth of triplet boys.
Ken and Emma Spooner’s new babies are particularly special because they are identical. The chance of this occurring naturally is one in 150,000.
The brothers joined their sister Molly, 8, and brother Jacob, 5….
Identical triplets are born when 1 fertilised egg splits to create 3 separate embryos….
Alfie, Zac and Sebastian have found fame as celebrities since their birth… last month by caesarian section 6 weeks early.
According to The Telegraph:
They had a combined weight of nearly 15 lbs with Zak weighing 5lb 2oz, Sebastian at 4lb 12oz, and Alfie at 4lb 11oz.
The healthy boys only required 8 days hospitalization. Congrats to the family!
[Photo attribution: EDP News]
Jill Stanek is a nurse turned speaker, columnist and blogger, a national figure in the effort to protect both preborn and postborn innocent human life.
What? No selective reduction? Selfish, I say.
/sarc
OMG sooooo cute. Lots of work, but so cute.
Actually, there is really little need for selective reduction with triplets. They aren’t statistically more risky than three separate singleton births. I can understand it in the case when one has a severe defect like Trisomy 18 or 21, but when the babies are healthy selective reduction isn’t worth it IMO.
Bearing healthy triplets is not a sign of illness. These sure are blessings.
Sweet baby boys!! They are beautiful!
Kate,
Whew. Thanks for clearing that up. Grateful this mommy let her baby boys live.
What a gorgeous photo. I wish them all the best !
It wasn’t a fertilized egg that split into 3 – it was a single embryo that twinned and probably another one that twinned again.
http://www.thrufire.com/blog/2009/03/fertilized-eggs-vs-zygotic-human-embryos/
I’d love to see 6th graders catch the reporters on this stuff.
Gorgeous! :)
I can understand it in the case when one has a severe defect like Trisomy 18 or 21, but when the babies are healthy selective reduction isn’t worth it IMO.
Posted by: Kate at May 13, 2009 10:42 AM
It’s not worth it in those cases either.
Indeed, Chris. Which also means that one of her ‘babies’ died in the womb. Shouldn’t she be mourning that one?
Cute x3!
HI Erin.
“Which also means that one of her ‘babies’ died in the womb. Shouldn’t she be mourning that one?”
No, I don’t think so. Start with a single embryo and it twins, so now you have two. Then one of those twins so now you have three. I don’t see why there is any reason to believe that there was another baby in there who died.
Bobby, actually, in any case of identical siblings who are odd numbered, one died. Hmm…
o
/ \
o o
/ \ / \
o o o o
Ok, I tried to illustrate as best I could. One embryo twins. 2 embryos. Those 2 embryos twin. 4 embryos. One dies. 3 embryos.
Why do both of your twinned embryos have to twin, Erin? Altogether only two twinnings are necessary, not three.
Stop fighting!
Congrats to this family, they’re very handsome little boys!
0/ \
0 0
/ \
0 0
Ugh… that was horrid.
Stage 1:
A –> A1 A2
Stage 2:
A1 –> A1
A2 –> A2a A2b
Three children. All alive. Yay.