"Our baby was born again" broadcasted the country's first quadruplet birth live; none of the four babies cried and they were taken to the emergency room, doubling worries.
The first episode of TV Chosun's variety show Our Baby Was Born Again (Uaagi), which aired on the 16th, revealed the country's first quadruplet birth scene. The rare story of the quadruplets, born against odds of 1 in 600,000, and the tense moments were broadcast.
At 28 weeks of pregnancy, the mother facing childbirth spoke with Director General Park Su-hong, the head of the "birth correspondent" team. The mother recalled, "At first we thought it was triplets, but one of them split and it became quadruplets." Medical staff added to the sadness by explaining, "Quadruplet pregnancy carries high risks of preterm birth, postpartum hemorrhage and preeclampsia," and that "doctors sometimes recommend selective abortion because trying to save all could lead to losing all."
On the day of delivery, a large-scale multidisciplinary surgery involving about 20 medical staff was carried out. However, only alarms sounded at the scene; the babies' cries were not heard. The first baby did not breathe on its own and was quickly moved to the neonatal intensive care unit, and the second also required a ventilator. The third came out pressed under the fourth, causing oxygen saturation to drop and leading to an emergency situation with risks of brain damage and death. The fourth also did not cry, increasing the urgency.
In particular, the third and fourth were identical twins and needed emergency treatment at the same time. Medical staff warned of possible premature infant complications such as intracranial hemorrhage, pneumothorax and pulmonary artery hypertension, and remained on edge.
At the end of the broadcast, the production team relieved viewers by reporting that the quadruplets are currently recovering their health.
Meanwhile, Our Baby Was Born Again (Uaagi) is a program that highlights the birth of precious lives in an era of low birthrates and airs every Tuesday at 10 p.m.
[Photo] TV Chosun Our Baby Was Born Again broadcast screen capture
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