Regional maternal-fetal center navigates preterm crisis at week 15

Mother and daughter both healthy after successful natural delivery

Prof. Ko Hyun-sun (center), head of the Maternal-Fetal Medicine Division at Seoul St. Mary's Hospital's Regional Maternal and Neonatal Care Center, poses with the family of a mother who recently delivered a healthy baby after a high-risk pregnancy. [Seoul St. Mary's Hospital]
Prof. Ko Hyun-sun (center), head of the Maternal-Fetal Medicine Division at Seoul St. Mary's Hospital's Regional Maternal and Neonatal Care Center, poses with the family of a mother who recently delivered a healthy baby after a high-risk pregnancy. [Seoul St. Mary's Hospital]

The Catholic University of Korea Seoul St. Mary's Hospital announced Monday that its medical team had successfully managed a high-risk pregnancy — marked by repeated infertility and a twin preterm crisis — and guided the mother to a healthy delivery.

The mother, who conceived after nine years of marriage, lost the first of her twins early in the pregnancy. Through intensive treatment and high-risk pregnancy management, the medical team helped her carry the second twin to full term, delivering naturally at 37 weeks.

The twins had been given the nickname "Tiki-Taka," reflecting the parents' hope that the two would grow up to get along well. Around week 15 of the pregnancy, however, an unexpected crisis struck — the mother felt a sudden gush of fluid, as if a water balloon had burst.

The mother had been actively exchanging information with other mothers of twins and educating herself on healthy delivery. She immediately recognized the sensation as a possible early rupture of membranes and went to a nearby obstetrics clinic. The clinic identified the emergency and quickly transferred her to the Regional Maternal and Neonatal Care Center at Seoul St. Mary's Hospital. Tests there confirmed the cervix had dilated, and the first twin was ultimately lost to spontaneous preterm birth.

To protect the remaining fetus, the medical team carefully assessed the mother for infection and evaluated her overall condition. Immediately after the first delivery, they performed a cervical cerclage and began intensive management, including tocolytic therapy to suppress uterine contractions and antibiotic treatment.

The mother was admitted to the high-risk maternity ward, where she received intensive treatment and close monitoring. The team tracked uterine contractions, signs of infection, bleeding and fetal condition, focusing on extending the pregnancy as long as possible.

At 37 weeks, shortly after the cervical cerclage suture was removed, doctors observed cervical dilation and amniotic fluid leakage, prompting readmission. Taking into account the mother's age — in her late 30s — and her clinical condition, the team monitored both mother and fetus closely before successfully delivering a healthy baby girl through natural birth in the early hours of May 19.

The case is considered significant because the medical team sustained the remaining pregnancy to full term despite a combination of serious complications: premature rupture of membranes, cervical dilation and the preterm loss of one twin.

The mother said the attentive care from the high-risk maternity ward staff was a powerful source of strength. "Even in the most difficult moments, the doctors and nurses always looked after me with such care — it was a great emotional comfort," she said. "I believe it was thanks to the medical team that I was able to hold on for so long, and I am deeply grateful. I also hope that other high-risk mothers going through similar hardships will not lose hope."

Ko Hyun-sun, the attending physician and head of the Maternal-Fetal Medicine Division at the hospital's Regional Maternal and Neonatal Care Center, said: "Above all, I want to express my gratitude and congratulations to the mother, the baby and the family for enduring such a long and difficult journey. Seoul St. Mary's Hospital's Regional Maternal and Neonatal Care Center will continue to do its utmost to build a safe delivery environment grounded in specialized care for high-risk mothers and newborns."

Meanwhile, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital's Regional Maternal and Neonatal Care Center serves as a central medical institution leading high-risk maternal and neonatal care in the Greater Seoul area. Designated by the government, the center provides comprehensive care for high-risk mothers and critically ill newborns — from pregnancy and delivery through postpartum management and neonatal intensive care.


woo@heraldcorp.com