LOWDOWN ON TTT SYNDROME
College Hospital, London. With her twins’ lives in the balance, he agreed to see Danielle the next day.
Danielle said: “Prof Nicolaides explained the twins were not in a good condition. If we wanted to save one of the babies, I had to have the laser procedure.”
So she had it there and then. She said: “It was so painful. An incision was made on my stomach. A laser and a camera were inserted. “I watched on the screen as the camera passed Ronnie. Then I looked away but I could hear the laser beam as it sliced through blood vessels.” The procedure stopped Ronnie getting too many nutrients and excess blood flow. It meant the family had some hope, however heartbreaki ng i t was to accept that they still might lose Teddy because he was just so small. The laser ablation was a success and bought Danielle some time. Carried at out 21 weeks, it meant the twins made it to 29 weeks, at which point Danielle’s consultant announced that TTTS had returned and an emergency caesarean was required.
Teddy was less than a kilo, dangerously small, but it was the only way to save TWIN to twin transfusion syndrome is when identical twins who share a placenta share it unequally
One twin, the recipient, receives too much blood and nutrients. This can cause heart failure.
The donor twin receives not enough blood and nutrients. Growth slows, their bladder begins to disappear and they may not survive.
TTTS is as dangerous for the Ronnie. Danielle said: “When the twins arrived at Portsmouth Hospital, Ronnie was small and Teddy even smaller.”
Both boys needed time in incubators. They were on oxygen and had phototherapy to combat jaundice.
Teddy had blood transfusions and recipient twin as for the donor. It happens in 15 per cent of identical pregnancies and can occur to varying degrees throughout the pregnancy – the earlier the worse.
The condition cannot be prevented. It is not hereditary or caused by parent behaviour. Danielle shares her story on Instagram @teddyandronnietttsurvivors to give hope to others in the same position. both had eye and hearing tests to check the impact of their premature arrival.
Incredibly, Ronnie was ready to return to the couple’s home in Bracknell, Berks, after six weeks. In December, Teddy joined him.
Danielle said: “Teddy has a hernia that’s just been operated on and they’ve both suffered with reflux.
“Teddy’s still on oxygen. But they’re starting to smile and are both strong. Ronnie is 10lb and so chilled. Teddy’s 7lb and very fiesty.
“Some say Teddy will eventually catch Ronnie up but I think there will always be a size difference. They’re identical – but not – and that makes them pretty unique.
“But they are both here, little and large, and that’s all that matters.”