In a twin pregnancy, one fetus was miscarried at 15 weeks, yet the other was maintained until 37 weeks and successfully delivered vaginally. With the baby born healthy 152 days after the miscarriage, it was recorded as the longest ‘delayed-interval delivery’ in the country.

Catholic University Seoul St. Marys Hospital announced on the 8th that a woman in her 30s, identified as Ms. A, who had been hospitalized for a high-risk pregnancy, succeeded in delivering her baby vaginally on the 19th of last month. In multiple pregnancies such as twins, when some fetuses are unavoidably delivered first and the remaining fetus is kept in the uterus to prolong gestation, the treatment is called ‘delayed-interval delivery’; it is a highly complex treatment with elevated risks of complications including infection, preterm labor, and bleeding.

After nine years of marriage, the mother finally conceived with difficulty and gave the twins the prenatal nicknames ‘Tiki’ and ‘Taka’. The names reflected the hope of the parents that the long-awaited babies would be born and get along well in the world. However, around the 15th week of pregnancy, an unexpected crisis arose. Feeling as if her water had suddenly broken, the mother visited an obstetrics and gynecology clinic near her home and, deemed an emergency by the hospital, was immediately transferred to the Regional Maternal and Child Healthcare Center at Seoul St. Marys Hospital. Tests showed the cervix was open, and in the end, they had no choice but to bid farewell to ‘Tiki’ through a spontaneous miscarriage.

Typically, when the membranes rupture and a miscarriage occurs, the remaining fetus is at high risk of being delivered within days. To protect the remaining fetus, the medical team closely assessed the mother for infection and overall condition, then performed a cervical cerclage immediately after the miscarriage. Intensive management followed, including tocolysis and antibiotics. The mother was admitted to the high-risk maternity ward, and the team focused on maximizing the length of the pregnancy for a healthy delivery while monitoring the fetal status, uterine contractions and bleeding, and any signs of infection. Fortunately, the mother improved to the point that safe daily activities were possible, and after discharge she continued regular outpatient care.

When the pregnancy reached 37 weeks, the team removed the stitch that had tied the cervix, immediately confirmed cervical dilation and leakage of amniotic fluid, and readmitted the mother. The team monitored the mother and fetus closely, and at last, ‘Taka’, who had grown healthily throughout the pregnancy, came into the world via vaginal delivery. Ms. A, who said she tried to maintain a positive mindset even during the long hospitalization, said, “I am grateful because I believe it was thanks to the medical staff that I was able to endure for so long, and I hope that high-risk expectant mothers facing the same situation will not lose hope.”

The attending physician, Ko Hyun-seon, Director of the Maternal-Fetal Center at the Regional Maternal and Child Healthcare Center of Seoul St. Marys Hospital, said, “Above all, I extend my gratitude and congratulations to the mother, baby, and family who endured a difficult process over a long time,” adding, “Going forward, the Regional Maternal and Child Healthcare Center at Seoul St. Marys Hospital will continue to do its utmost to create a safe childbirth environment based on a specialized care system for high-risk mothers and newborns.”