Rescue helicopter airlifts expecting mom from Jeju for triplet delivery in Daegu
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A woman airlifted from Jeju Island due to a high-risk pregnancy safely delivered triplets after doctors spent a month prolonging the pregnancy.
The patient, who was 27 weeks pregnant at the time, contacted emergency services at 10 p.m. on June 4 when Jeju hospitals lacked the facilities to accommodate her condition. She was airlifted by a rescue helicopter and arrived at Daegu Catholic University Hospital around midnight.
Hospital staff spent the next month delaying delivery to help the babies survive. The patient went into early labor at about 2:30 a.m. on Saturday. A 17-person medical team — comprising doctors from obstetrics, pediatrics and anesthesiology, along with specialized nurses — safely delivered the three girls at 31 weeks.
The triplets experienced brief respiratory problems immediately after birth and were intubated. They have since improved and are stable in the neonatal intensive care unit, the hospital announced Monday. The mother is in good health and expects to be discharged with the babies soon.
Medical staff perform an emergency delivery for a mother carrying triplets at Daegu Catholic University Hospital, Saturday. Courtesy of Daegu Catholic University Hospital
Dr. Lee Hyo-jin, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the hospital, attributed the successful outcome to the mother's endurance.
"I was always anxious from the moment the patient was hospitalized, but thanks to the maternal love of a mother who believed in the medical staff and held out, we were able to buy a precious month," Lee said.
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.