Dubai: A young Emirati mother in Latifa Hospital, Dubai, has given birth to quintuplets. The newborns arrived within minutes of each other.
Dr Fadi Mirza, Medical Director and Director of the Department of Obstetrics at Latifa Hospital, confirmed that the mother and the five newborns are in good health. “They are being closely cared for by an expert medical team and undergoing follow-up in the hospital according to the best international standards. A quintuplet pregnancy is extremely rare, one in 55 million cases in the world, and requires an integrated and specialised medical team to manage from the pregnancy to delivery and postnatal,” he said.
Dr Mahmoud El Halik, Consultant Neonatologist and Head of Neonatology section at Latifa Hospital, said: “The mother experienced a premature birth in the 29th week and gave birth to five babies with an average weight of 1,195 grams. The miracle babies are now one month old and are in good health. They breathe without respiratory support, feed well, and are gaining weight under close supervision of the neonatologists and nurses of Latifa Hospital.”
Dr Abeer Nouman, Consultant Obstetrics and Gynecology at Latifa Hospital, pointed out that the case was identified as “a high risk pregnancy” and the mother was receiving safe and effective care by the healthcare professionals in Latifa Hospital, including the Maternal Fetal Medicine Unit. “At 29 weeks, the patient presented with preterm labour, and a full team (obstetrics, neonatology, anesthesiology and nursing) was on board for the best expected outcome.”
Dr Muna Tahlak, Chief Executive Officer of Latifa Hospital, said: “The hospital’s work as part of an integrated health system within the Dubai Academic Health Corporation, in addition to the exceptional care it provides to every patient, supports our mission to serve people and put the health and wellbeing of the ‘patient first’. This critical case highlights the role of Latifa Hospital as a leading maternity hospital in the UAE.”
Latifa Hospital handles an average of 4,000 births annually. It is one of the largest maternity and children’s hospital in the UAE and has the largest intensive care unit for newborns and premature infants in Dubai and the Northern Emirates. The hospital was also awarded a “Baby Friendly Hospital” certificate by UNICEF for its effective implementation of practices that protect, promote and support breastfeeding.
