Advertisement

California maternity unit sets record with 4 sets of twins delivered in 32 hours

On June 30, Emma Anderson's sudden case of preeclampsia forced her to deliver early, welcoming Hadley and Olivia one minute apart. Lucile Pack Children's Hospital

A Palo Alto, Calif., maternity unit is seeing double — four times over.

Doctors, nurses and new parents at Lucile Pack Children’s Hospital have been keeping extra busy after welcoming not one, not two, but four sets of twins in just 32 hours.

It’s a new record for the hospital, according to a joyful news release on its official website.

Emma Anderson expected to give birth to her twins on July 2 but complications forced her to deliver early, the release reads.

Her twins ended up being the last in a series of multiples born at the hospital.

Story continues below advertisement

“When we arrived Monday afternoon, the nurses said, ‘You wouldn’t believe it, we’ve already delivered two sets of twins today,’” said new mom Kelli Smith, a medical resident at the hospital. “I said, ‘That’s incredible. I hope you guys had lunch!'”

For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.

Get breaking National news

For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

The record-setting hours began on June 29, ABC7 reports, with three sets of twins born that day and a fourth set the following afternoon.

“I cannot recall so many twin births within that short of a time frame,” Lou Filoteo, a nurse at the hospital, said in the release.

The eight newborns include Ethan and Yisol Lee, identical sisters Hadley and Olivia Sacher and brothers Henry and Logan Smith. The fourth set is not identified in the release.

The Lee family was first to welcome their babies during an emergency C-section because of how big they were at a combined total of 14.5 pounds.

Then came another twin C-section, Henry and Logan, born just two minutes apart at 3:03 and 3:05 p.m.

The next day, Anderson’s sudden case of preeclampsia forced her to deliver early, welcoming Hadley and Olivia one minute apart.

Story continues below advertisement

According to the hospital, the odds of having four sets of twins so close together are roughly one in a million.

meaghan.wray@globalnews.ca

Sponsored content

AdChoices