New Jersey twins emerge hugging inside shared sac, leave NICU after two months
Two newborn sisters who were still clasping each other inside a single amniotic sac were delivered at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center and, after almost two months in the NICU, were released to their parents.
Shedeline Pierre Louis and her husband Evens Claude Bontant learned they were expecting twins in a rare monochorionic-monoamniotic pregnancy, where both fetuses share one placenta and one amniotic sac. The condition, diagnosed by maternal-fetal specialist Alexander L. Juusela at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, carries high risks such as cord entanglement and growth restriction. After monitoring the pregnancy from 26 weeks, doctors delivered the twins by cesarean at 32 weeks; for a brief moment the infants remained inside the same sac, hugging each other as it was opened.
The premature girls required steroids, supplemental oxygen and close observation in the NICU for almost two months. On July 23, staff celebrated their discharge, and the parents noted the twins' strong bond and differing temperaments as they settle into life at home in Roselle, New Jersey.
Why it matters
The story highlights the challenges and successes of managing an extremely rare high-risk twin pregnancy.
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