Miracle twins give Bay Area parents best holiday gift ever

Blackrook · Dec 14, 2012

Miracle twins give Bay Area parents best holiday gift ever

Kate and Annie Carlson snuggle in the same bed for the first time. (Business Wire)

Less than 1 percent of twins share an amniotic sac in their mother’s womb. The situation is rare and risky and some 20 percent of what are called monoamniotic twins die, often because the umbilical cord becomes entangled, cutting off the blood and food supply.

But not Kate and Annie Carlson who were born at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital on November 7 at only 30 weeks old.

These miracle twins defied the odds even though their cords were tied in a dangerous knot. A delivery team led by Dr. Susan Crowe performed a successful cesarean section, bringing into the world two perfect babies, weighing about 3 pounds each. The parents, Allison and Kevin Carlson of Menlo Park, were thrilled and relieved.

Dr. Crowe hoped to put off the surgery until the end of the month so Kate and Annie would have more time to grow and develop to minimize the risk of lung disease and other complications associated with prematurity. But when doctors discovered that the twins’ heart rates were decreasing, they decided the pair must enter the world immediately — about 10 weeks before the babies would hit a full 40-week term.

New parents Kevin and Allison plan to take their children home from Packard Children's soon. (Business Wire)

“Having a set of monoamniotic twins can be dangerous and unpredictable,” Crowe said in a release. “With no membrane dividing them, the obstetrician has to balance the risk of prematurity with the risk of a cord event. But, thanks to the excellent care our NICU gives our high-risk cases and preemies, we expect very good outcomes if we have to deliver them early.”

Initially the first-time parents thought they were having only one baby, but were delighted to learn at week 17 that Allison was pregnant with twins. Their excitement quickly turned to fear when they learned their twins shared an amniotic sac. The day of the c-section was one of the scariest in Allison’s life. “One of the nurses held my hand and spoke to me in a soothing voice as I was getting my anesthesia,” she said. “She calmly walked me through the entire procedure.”

Thankfully Allison and her girls were in good hands at a hospital that specializes in high-risk pregnancies. And while the twins will be spending Christmas at the hospital, continuing to grow and get strong, they should be home by the new year. The super-happy parents will be taking the girls home to a nursery decked out with plenty of pink, and the family dog is already sleeping in the girls’ room to stand guard.

Are you as crazy about twins as we are at SFGate? Check out some of our readers’ terrific twin photos.
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http://blog.sfgate.com/sfmoms/2012/...san-francisco-parents-best-holiday-gift-ever/

When fetuses are in danger of death, our society uses its best resources and technology to save them.

And yet, in the next hospital room, an equally precious unborn baby will be aborted.

How do our doctors and nurses live with this contradiction?

An abortion is a violation of the Hippocratic Oath and a violation of everything the medical profession stands for.

Why don't our doctors do more or say more to oppose abortion?

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Miracle twins give Bay Area parents best holiday gift ever

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