UPDATE: The Russian Quints Born In UK Doing Well

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The set of quints that was born in the UK last month are doing so well that 2 of them are breathing independently.

Their parents Dimitri and Varvara Artamkin have just one wish for the New Year – for that the babies to be strong enough to leave their incubators and be held all at once.

Unfortunately that won’t happen anytime soon due to the fact that the babies are being looked after by two different hospitals.

Just one day after the five girls were born two were whisked to London’s Queen Charlotte hospital and then, on December 10, transferred to Stoke Mandeville hospital in Buckinghamshire because so much specialist equipment was needed to care for them.

Three remain at the John Radcliffe where they were born.

The couple rents an apartment in Oxford spends their days travelling between the two hospitals to check on their babies’ progress.

The girls were born at 26 weeks gestation weighting between just 1lb 13oz and 2lb 2oz. Despite doctors’ predictions that they could not all survive, the girls have continued to surprise everyone with their fighting spirit.

During Varvara’s pregnancy, the couple had a hard time finding a doctor that would care for her during her pregnancy. Most refused saying they believed the risks were too high.

Eventually, they found one who wanted to help, but he warned them that in order to give their children the best possible chance, they should leave Russia, to seek better care elsewhere.

Dimitri says: “He told us that in his opinion the best place for looking after premature babies was Britain, and he gave us the name of the John Radcliffe hospital in Oxford.

“We had a friend in Oxford at the time, so we sent her some papers explaining our situation and asked her to pass them on to Dr Lawrence Impey, the top consultant at the hospital.

“She spoke to him and he agreed that if we travelled to Oxford, he would treat us. He said that although he would have given us the same facts and figures about selective terminations, he would have left it to us to make the choice.”

A wealthy friend of the family offered to pay all of the medical bills, ensuring that the quints have not placed burden on the NHS.

“He said, ‘Just don’t worry about money,'” says Dimitri. “He is a very kind and generous man and he wanted to help us. He has paid for everything, from our medical care to our living expenses here. Without him, we could not have come here.”

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Baby Born During Ice Storm Doing Well

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The 26 weeker born during an ice storm earlier this week is said holding her own in hospital.

Dorotea entered the world Tuesday, 3 months early at Henry County Health Center. Because not all health care facilities are equipped to look after babies that are born this early, she needed to be transferred to a better hospital.

Under normal conditions, an ambulance or helicopter would have transported a special response unit to pick up Dorotea. But an ice storm made it difficult for the University of Iowa’s Air Care helicopter and the ambulance to attempt such a dangerous trip.

Knowing the small community hospital in Henry County didn’t have the facilities to treat the preemie, Mike Acarregui and John Dagle, neonatal doctors at the University of Iowa, took action.

“The community hospitals don’t run into extremely preterm kids every day. When they do, it’s really hard,” Acarregui told ABC News. “They are used to having the support of a tertiary care center.”

Acarregui grabbed a rescue pack and the two doctors drove Acarregui’s Audi four-wheel-drive sedan to pick up Dorotea and bring her to Iowa City. Meanwhile, doctors in Mount Pleasant improvised their own resources, rebuilding a warming bed in an ambulance for the baby to use on the trip back to Iowa City.

Despite the lack of resources for extremely preterm babies, Acarregui said the community hospital staff saved the baby’s life with its improvised and meticulous efforts.

While the doctors were in transit, the medical staff at the hospital was able to re-configure some of their equipment for this micro patient.

A respiratory therapist came up with a way to mix oxygen gas, so the baby would receive an appropriate oxygen level, even though the hospital did not have the usual materials to mix oxygen for babies. Another doctor at the hospital kept the baby’s blood sugar up intravenously. Still others took a warmer bed from an ambulance, disassembled it, and re anchored it to stabilize it and properly fit the baby.

Preterm babies’ lungs do not produce enough of a substance called surfactant, which is what prevents the lungs from collapsing every time you exhale. Preemies’ lungs have a tendency to get stuck shut because of a lack of surfactant.

When the doctors arrived, they were most concerned about Dorotea’s breathing. Acarregui and Dagle inserted a breathing tube into Dorotea. Acarregui put surfactant into the baby’s lungs to help the baby breathe and treated her umbilical cord. Dagle used a hand-held ventilator to manually pump air into Dorotea’s lungs during the entire ride. The tiny baby rode to Iowa City in her specially made warming bed.

Studies show that risk of death increases significantly when a preterm baby is born in a small hospital that does not have the specialized facilities and experienced staff for the tiny patients.

The baby is now receiving care at The University Of Iowa. Doctors have said that she currently has a brain bleed, which is common for these little fighters.

While many may think that this story is unusual, it is probably more common than most people know. The unbelievable transfer teams that work at major hospitals across North America save many of these small babies everyday. One of the babies we profiled last year was given a less than 1% chance by the team when they arrived at the hospital to transfer him. Not only did he make the trip, but he has gone on to thrive and develop like a regular 2 year old.

Related Articles:

• Parents ‘Last Good Bye’ Saved Their Baby’s Life
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• 4 Year Old Daughter Helps Mom Deliver Baby 14 Weeks Premature

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4 Year Old Daughter Helps Mom Deliver Baby 14 Weeks Premature

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A four year old UK girl has been hailed a hero by her proud mother after helping to deliver her 14 weeks premature baby brother at home.

Sethrine stayed calm while she called for an ambulance, ran to get towels and comforted her mother.Emma, a midwife herself, said: “I’m very proud of Sethrine. I don’t know what I’d have done without her.”

Mrs Kedey was just 26 weeks pregnant when her waters suddenly broke. She was at home with Sethrine and asked her to call 999 for an ambulance.

But Emma started having contractions before the ambulance arrived. A composed Sethrine comforted her crying mum and ran to get towels for her as Shadrach started to make his dramatic entrance into the world.

Emma said: “She said to me ‘mummy, don’t cry, sit down’. Sethrine was absolutely brilliant.”

The mum-of-two added: “I was a little bit shocked and I lost concentration. It was a real shock for me because I couldn’t do anything for myself.

“Being a midwife myself I knew what was happening and I just gave up. I thought I was going to lose my baby.”

The daddy was able to get home before the baby was born, but an ambulance did not arrive until tiny Shadrach, weighing just under three pounds, had entered the world.

The baby spent quite a few weeks in The NICU and was given the all clear by the doctors to go home at the end of May.

Emma said: “I’m very proud of Sethrine. She is now brimming with difficult questions about her baby brother. Sethrine wants to know ‘why is the baby so small’, ‘why did the baby come early?’ I just haven’t got the answers for her!”

Shadrach is now seven months old and doing well at home as he is looked after by his thrilled big sister as well as his overjoyed mum and dad.

Sometimes kids surprise us with their composure and focus. This brother sister team will probably have a strong bond for years to come.

Related Articles:

Micro-Preemie Defied Odds Of 100 to 1
25 Week Baby Born on Airplane: Still Thriving
Miracle 24 Weeker Goes Home

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