Premature IVF Triplets Born at 25 Weeks to High-Risk Mom Discharged Healthy After 225 Days at Amrita Hospital

Faridabad: In what is being described as a first-of-its-kind case in India, a high-risk, first-time mother gave birth to extremely premature triplets — all of whom have been discharged after 225 days in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Amrita Hospital, Faridabad, with no long-term complications or hospital-acquired infections.

The triplets, three IVF-conceived girls born at just 25 weeks of gestation, had a combined birth weight of 2.5 kilograms. They were discharged in stable health, setting a new benchmark for neonatal outcomes in cases of extreme prematurity.

The mother, Jyotsna, a 46-year-old Delhi University professor and primigravida, had a prolonged history of infertility. She was managing multiple comorbidities, including insulin-dependent diabetes and chronic hypertension, throughout her pregnancy. After conceiving through IVF — her only and final chance at biological motherhood — she developed multiple infections in the final weeks, including pneumonia. An emergency caesarean section was performed, and she was admitted to the ICU.

Despite the high-risk scenario, the clinical course that followed for the infants was notably stable. Under the leadership of Dr Hemant Sharma, Senior Neonatologist at Amrita Hospital, a team of six doctors and nearly 20 NICU nurses provided round-the-clock, individualized care for each infant.

“This was a very complicated case with the mother having diabetes and expecting premature delivery,” said Dr. Sharma. “These were three very small babies, Tridevi, as the team would fondly call them, born far earlier than we would ever hope. But what made the difference was steady, careful care—non-invasive support, timely feeding with mother’s milk, and close observation. We just focused on getting the fundamentals right, every single day, with a team fully committed to their well-being.”

Remarkably, none of the babies required mechanical ventilation — an unusual outcome for such an early gestational age. Only one received a single dose of surfactant and one blood transfusion. All three were initiated on enteral feeds within nine hours of birth and achieved full mother’s milk feeds by day four — significantly ahead of international benchmarks. Over the 225-day NICU stay, they recorded no hospital-acquired infections or intraventricular haemorrhages.

Despite her own critical condition, Jyotsna remained actively engaged in her children’s care. From the ICU, she continued to express breast milk — a vital contributor to the triplets’ nutritional progress and immunity. Donor milk was also used as a supportive measure, emphasizing the need to build stronger human milk bank networks in India.

“I am truly grateful to Amrita Hospital. From the moment my daughters were born, I felt they were in safe hands,” said Jyotsna. “The doctors and nurses were not just skilled, but also very kind. Even when I was unwell, they helped me stay connected to my babies, encouraged me to keep expressing milk, and supported us through every step. I just have gratitude for helping bring all three of them home.”

India sees over 3.5 million premature births annually, with nearly 300,000 child deaths occurring before the age of five. This case highlights the importance of comprehensive, protocol-driven neonatal care in improving outcomes, especially in high-risk IVF pregnancies.

As India continues to work towards the goals of the India Newborn Action Plan and Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3.2 — which aim to reduce neonatal mortality — this case underscores the need for system-wide readiness. It also draws attention to critical enablers like skilled neonatal nursing, access to human milk banks, and early, non-invasive interventions to help more premature infants not just survive, but thrive.