Quadruplets born at HCA Florida Mercy for the first time in hospital's 70-year history
MIAMI — A mom delivered quadruplets at HCA Florida Mercy Hospital — a possible first for the hospital.
Dr. Ruben Quintero and Dr. Eftichia Kontopoulos delivered four babies — Lua, Liv, Mar and Dia — to new parents Mayra and Devon. According to a Thursday press release, they're believed to be the first quadruplets to be born at Mercy in the hospital's 70-year history.
At the beginning of the pregnancy when Mayra learned she was pregnant with quadruplets, she could have chosen to have only two as the majority of quadruplet pregnancies don't make it to term. However, she chose to carry all four babies.
At about 24 weeks, she was having pre-term labor due to an excessive amount of amniotic fluid in utero. Rather than stick a needle to reduce the amount of fluid and risk complications, the babies were treated in the womb to reduce their urination. The process required a weekly fetal echo to ensure the babies were responding well to treatment. The end result was delayed labor as the uterus shrunk, allowing the babies to further develop in utero, the hospital stated.
Mayra and Devon live three hours away from Mercy, and asked to be admitted to the hospital at 27 weeks because they wanted to be near the hospital should they deliver early. Then, at 30 weeks and two days, all four babies were born. According to the hospital, the average gestation period for multiples is 29 weeks.
The entire process was managed thanks to advanced fetal therapy under Drs. Quintero and Kontopoulos' supervision in collaboration with pediatric cardiologist Dr. Madeleen Mas.
"The planning and coordination between Dr. Quintero and Mercy's labor and delivery department and NICU made the entire process from pre-delivery to post-delivery a successful one," Mercy stated.
All four babies are currently in Mercy's Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and are doing well, and so is their mother Mayra.