After giving birth to her daughter, Philasande Mbutuma (30) from Kraaifontein in Cape Town experienced a strange movement in her stomach that she couldn’t explain. She immediately informed the doctors about it while still in the delivery room. Following a scan, the medical team at Karl Bremer District Hospital was astonished to discover that she was still pregnant with a second baby.
Despite attending regular prenatal checkups at Kraaifontein community health centre, Mbutuma was never informed that she was expecting twins. She had a healthy pregnancy and gave birth to a healthy baby girl weighing 2.88kg at Karl Bremer Hospital.
However, Mbutuma felt something moving in her stomach after giving birth. A pregnancy scan revealed that there was another baby, but she had to wait before delivering her as the baby was still tiny. Doctors diagnosed her with a rare pregnancy condition known as delayed interval delivery, where one twin remains in the womb after the first is born to allow the second baby more time to develop and increase its chances of survival.
Professor Ray Maharaj, head of the obstetrics and gynaecology department at the University of Free State, explained that interval births have been documented globally and in South Africa. However, the exact number of cases of delayed interval delivery in South Africa remains unknown. The process of interval delivery occurs when a pregnant woman goes into preterm labour while the other baby is not fully developed, resulting in the first baby being delivered normally while the second baby is left inside the uterus to grow and develop further.
Mbutuma was surprised to learn that she would give birth to her twins on different days, a phenomenon she had never heard of before. She was instructed to monitor her condition and seek medical attention if she experienced dizziness or nausea. The second twin can be left inside the uterus if it is healthy and normal, but close monitoring is required throughout the pregnancy.
Nearly a month later, on 5 April, Mbutuma began to feel unwell and gave birth to another girl weighing 2.84kg at Kraaifontein Community Health Centre. This rare incident of delayed interval delivery was also reported in South Africa this year when a woman gave birth to twin boys 14 days apart, with the second baby unfortunately not surviving.
In cases of delayed interval delivery, the second baby has a lower risk of death compared to the first if the delivery of the first twin occurs during the six months of pregnancy. However, there are risks such as infection, preterm delivery, placental abruption, and death if the pregnancy is not well monitored. Generally, the outcome of the first twin is poor due to severe prematurity, but if the second twin can develop in the uterus without complications, the outcome will be better if they reach maturity. The world of technology is constantly evolving, with new innovations and advancements being made every day. One of the most exciting developments in recent years is the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. These technologies have the potential to revolutionize industries across the board, from healthcare to finance to transportation.
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