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Mom wanted 1, dad wanted 2: They got 4!
Quadruplets born to Portmore couple at UHWIBY TANEISHA LEWIS Observer staff reporter editorial@jamaicaobserver.com
Friday, January 25, 2008
After six years of marriage, 32-year-old Reginald Hird and his wife Keisha decided that they would try to start a family. She wanted one child. He wanted two.
Reginald Hird, the father of the first quadruplets to be born at the University Hospital of the West Indies, looks proudly at his daughters who were being kept in the Special Care Unit yesterday. (Photo: Naphtali Junoir)
However, six weeks into the pregnancy the couple learnt that they would have their hands full. They were going to have quadruplets.
The Hirds made history at the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI), and possibly Jamaica, yesterday morning when Keisha gave birth to four girl babies each weighing between 1.1 and 1.6 pounds. Doctors were not able to say whether the babies were identical, but suggested that it was not likely. They also could not confirm that the Hird babies were the firts quadruplets born in Jamaica.
"I am exhausted, so you can imagine what she would say," a very excited Hird told the Observer with his mother and mother-in-law on hand to celebrate. "None of us was planning for four."
The proud mother, who is 31 years-old, was taking fertility medication before the couple conceived.
According to Dr Shaun Wynter, consultant obstetrician at the UHWI, it took a team of 17 medical personnel to deliver the babies by Caesarian section starting at 10:14 yesterday morning. After the deliveries, she was still sedated and was not able to speak to the media.
Dr Wynter said the mother, who was in stable condition, gave birth at 31-and-a-half weeks, but was admitted to the hospital almost two weeks ago because of a medical condition which he was not at liberty to disclose.
"These patients develop medical complications of pregnancy," said Dr Wynter. "Her condition was such that based on our investigations she needed to be delivered at this time. She was 31-and-a-half weeks, but in general most quadruplets tend not to go much further, so we weren't expecting much more and her medical condition warranted delivery this morning."
Dr Wynter said the babies were stable and were breathing independently with little supplemental oxygen.
"One is a little pale (anaemic) so we are going to have to watch that one," he said. "The paediatricians are happy with them because they came out crying and they did what they should have done."
The babies were placed in the Special Care Unit at UHWI and will be released in another month or so.
"They have a criteria for discharge where they have to meet certain targets. Roughly speaking, as a rule of thumb, when they would be 36 weeks (in the womb) that's about the time they would be released," Dr Wynter said, noting that the mother was given medication prior to delivery to help the babies' lungs to mature.
Yesterday, the proud father said even though he had hoped that there would have been a boy amidst the quads, he was very sceptical that he and his wife will be having anymore children in the future. "If I need a boy I think I am going to adopt one," he said jokingly. Hird, a field officer at the Jamaica National Building Society, lives with his wife, an accountant, in Greater Portmore. He said preparing for his new daughters was challenging. However, he and his wife decided to deal with the more critical things that the babies would need first. He was quick to add that they would need help to take care of the babies.
"I have the support of my mother and her mother and other family members," he said. "It's going to be a challenge, but the family will rally round."
According to www.wikipepedia.com, the number of multiple births has been increasing over the past few decades due to the impact of fertility treatments, such as in-vitro fertilisation. It also noted that the incidence of multiple pregnancies with four or more babies is one in 512,000. Another website, www3.telus.net, claims that up to November last year, 3,447 sets of quadruplets have been recorded worlwide since the first set in 1930.
Quadruplets born to Portmore couple at UHWIBY TANEISHA LEWIS Observer staff reporter editorial@jamaicaobserver.com
Friday, January 25, 2008
After six years of marriage, 32-year-old Reginald Hird and his wife Keisha decided that they would try to start a family. She wanted one child. He wanted two.
Reginald Hird, the father of the first quadruplets to be born at the University Hospital of the West Indies, looks proudly at his daughters who were being kept in the Special Care Unit yesterday. (Photo: Naphtali Junoir)However, six weeks into the pregnancy the couple learnt that they would have their hands full. They were going to have quadruplets.
The Hirds made history at the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI), and possibly Jamaica, yesterday morning when Keisha gave birth to four girl babies each weighing between 1.1 and 1.6 pounds. Doctors were not able to say whether the babies were identical, but suggested that it was not likely. They also could not confirm that the Hird babies were the firts quadruplets born in Jamaica.
"I am exhausted, so you can imagine what she would say," a very excited Hird told the Observer with his mother and mother-in-law on hand to celebrate. "None of us was planning for four."
The proud mother, who is 31 years-old, was taking fertility medication before the couple conceived.
According to Dr Shaun Wynter, consultant obstetrician at the UHWI, it took a team of 17 medical personnel to deliver the babies by Caesarian section starting at 10:14 yesterday morning. After the deliveries, she was still sedated and was not able to speak to the media.
Dr Wynter said the mother, who was in stable condition, gave birth at 31-and-a-half weeks, but was admitted to the hospital almost two weeks ago because of a medical condition which he was not at liberty to disclose.
"These patients develop medical complications of pregnancy," said Dr Wynter. "Her condition was such that based on our investigations she needed to be delivered at this time. She was 31-and-a-half weeks, but in general most quadruplets tend not to go much further, so we weren't expecting much more and her medical condition warranted delivery this morning."
Dr Wynter said the babies were stable and were breathing independently with little supplemental oxygen.
"One is a little pale (anaemic) so we are going to have to watch that one," he said. "The paediatricians are happy with them because they came out crying and they did what they should have done."
The babies were placed in the Special Care Unit at UHWI and will be released in another month or so.
"They have a criteria for discharge where they have to meet certain targets. Roughly speaking, as a rule of thumb, when they would be 36 weeks (in the womb) that's about the time they would be released," Dr Wynter said, noting that the mother was given medication prior to delivery to help the babies' lungs to mature.
Yesterday, the proud father said even though he had hoped that there would have been a boy amidst the quads, he was very sceptical that he and his wife will be having anymore children in the future. "If I need a boy I think I am going to adopt one," he said jokingly. Hird, a field officer at the Jamaica National Building Society, lives with his wife, an accountant, in Greater Portmore. He said preparing for his new daughters was challenging. However, he and his wife decided to deal with the more critical things that the babies would need first. He was quick to add that they would need help to take care of the babies.
"I have the support of my mother and her mother and other family members," he said. "It's going to be a challenge, but the family will rally round."
According to www.wikipepedia.com, the number of multiple births has been increasing over the past few decades due to the impact of fertility treatments, such as in-vitro fertilisation. It also noted that the incidence of multiple pregnancies with four or more babies is one in 512,000. Another website, www3.telus.net, claims that up to November last year, 3,447 sets of quadruplets have been recorded worlwide since the first set in 1930.