Grandma Surrogate Has Triplets

A 55-year-old woman acting as a surrogate for her daughter gave birth to triplets Tuesday.

Tina Cade gave birth to her own grandchildren - the two boys and one girl - by Caesarean section at Bon Secours St. Mary's Hospital. She experienced "mild complications," which the hospital said is not uncommon for such surgery.

Cade carried the babies for her oldest daughter, Camille Hammond, who suffers from endometriosis, a condition that affects the lining of the uterus and makes it difficult to become pregnant.

Hammond and her husband, Jason, both doctors at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, had tried for four years to become pregnant. Cade approached the couple with the idea of carrying the child and began hormone treatment last winter to turn back her biological clock and prepare her for pregnancy.

Months later, she was implanted with three test-tube embryos. All three survived.

Jason Hammond said his mother-in-law is resting and "doing fantastic." He added, "We are so excited. We are really blessed."

The boys weigh 4 pounds, 9 ounces, and 3 pounds, 12 ounces; the girl weighs 4 pounds, 10 ounces. Camille Hammond said she was "overwhelmed" when she saw them.

The hospital did not release the names of the babies, who were not due until mid-February.

The National Center for Health Statistics said 12 children were born in 2002 to women ages 50 to 54 who carried triplets. The center does not maintain statistics for women 55 and over.

Cade is director of multicultural affairs at the University of Richmond.