In an incident that has utterly astonished doctors, an Egyptian woman was shocked to find during what should have been a routine pregnancy check-up that she was carrying nine fetuses simultaneously -one of the rarest such cases in the medical world.
The incident came as a total shock to the couple, who never imagined that their moment of reassurance about the baby’s health would turn into such extraordinary news.
A consultant in obstetrics and gynecology, Wael al-Banna, a told Al-Arabiya that this is among the rarest recorded medical cases, due to a unique combination of factors.
Banna explained that the woman had undergone a routine ultrasound examination, and the unexpected surprise came when the scan revealed that she was carrying nine fetuses in their early stages.
He added that the reason behind this condition is the indiscriminate use of ovulation-stimulating drugs or the lack of close supervision and monitoring by a specialist physician.
Banna pointed out that these drugs stimulate the ovaries to produce more than one egg per cycle, and if taken in excessive doses or without monitoring, this can lead to the release of a large number of eggs, all of which may be fertilized, resulting in a multiple pregnancy.
Importance of medical supervision
He emphasized that some medical protocols used in assisted reproductive technologies (ART) or in vitro fertilization (IVF) permit the use of hormonal stimulants, but only according to specific guidelines, at carefully calculated doses, and under strict supervision to avoid complications.
Banna emphasized that the absence of medical supervision during this stage can lead to very serious consequences, such as multi-fetus pregnancies, which pose a significant risk to the health of both the mother and the fetuses.
He added that this can cause severe health complications for the mother, including gestational diabetes, recurrent bleeding, anemia, and general weakness.
Banna explained that modern medicine offers solutions for managing such cases, including a procedure known as fetal reduction, a precise medical procedure that scientifically and safely reduces the number of fetuses in the uterus.
This aims to protect the mother’s life and ensure that a limited number of fetuses survive in optimal conditions for growth and development.
