Three cheers for Christmas

Dubai: What better Christmas gift than three bundles of joy?

"We cannot believe it," said a Dubai-based Iraqi couple, who welcomed their triplets into the world on December 25.

"It was my wife's first delivery after 16 years of marriage. We feel so blessed that we had triplets after such a long wait," said Eisa Hatif, a businessman who has been in Dubai for over nine years.

"It was a very special day," said his wife Shaima Khalid.

The 34-year-old, who had an in vitro fertilisation (IVF) procedure in Syria, delivered a boy and two girls at the NMC Specialty Hospital in Dubai on Sunday. She was under the care of Dr Nada Hamza, Specialist Obstetrician and Gynaecologist.

"It was a high-risk pregnancy as the mother developed high blood pressure. So a Caesarian section had to be done," said Dr Rajiv P., Specialist Neonatologist and Head of Newborn Service at the hospital. He said the triplets arrived prematurely in the 34th week of Shaima's term. "One of them weighed 1.75kg and needed ventilator support for 24 hours. The other two weighed 1.9kg and 2.2kg. They are all steady and doing fine. We will keep them in the neonatal unit for another 10-14 days before we can discharge them," he said.

"We are eagerly waiting to take Ayoub, Zeenab and Zeena home," said Hatif.

As the family looks forward to marking a truly happy new year, Suhada, the triplets' grandmother said, "This is the grace of Allah."