In a complex procedure, the life of a foetus was saved by removing its dead twin. The pregnancy then continued with conservative management and at 25 weeks and 6 days, Priti Iyer delivered a much longed-for bonny baby, aptly named 'Shakti'. The rate of asynchronous delivery — individual dates of delivery for twins or triplets — is 14 for every one lakh births. The 'kangaroo mama' is now practising keeping the baby close to her chest to assure skin-to-skin contact to stabilise the health of the prematurely born little boy. Sangam and Priti Iyer, residents of Sanpada in Navi Mumbai, have been praying for a child ever since they got married 11 years ago. "We are finally holding our bundle of joy," said the 38-year-old marketing professional. "My wife miscarried thrice due to complications. This time too, she has been on complete bed rest since the third month of her pregnancy. We finally welcomed Shakti home a week ago." Preeti, who works in the Corporate Social Responsibility department of Larsen & Tubro, suffered complications at 13 weeks. Her cervix began dilating and it needed a stitch. Two weeks later, she complained of abdominal pain and bleeding — the stitch had come undone and one foetus was expelled. In the ultrasonography, the expelled foetus was seen outside the uterus, with no movement or heart activity; Foetus B was healthy. The death of a twin, in-vitro, places the survivor at high risk. "Twin pregnancies have higher risks and are often complicated by problems related to placentation, mother's age, medical history and obstetric complications," said obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr Anu Vij, who consults at Motherhood Hospital in Kharghar. "After the death of a twin before birth, the survivor is at risk of cerebral palsy and brain impairment. Hence, we had to take extra care to save the baby living inside the mother's abdomen." The decision was taken to remove the dead twin surgically and observe uterine activity for 24 hours. Foetus B thrived and after one more cervical stitch, pregnancy continued till 25 weeks and 6 days. On July 5, Shakti was born prematurely, weighing 840 grams and was shifted to NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) Shakti now weighs 1.7 kg. "During her stay in the hospital, Priti was taught 'kangaroo care' to nurture the infant in the first few days after stabilization. In this, the baby is kept on the mother's chest for skin-to-skin contact," said Dr Vij. "The baby is healthy and gaining weight," said the ebullient father. "Both mother and baby are thriving." "My baby and I have been given a new lease of life," said the 36-year-old mother. "My baby narrowly escaped death, and we will now be able to live life the way we have always dreamed of."

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