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CNN Live At Daybreak

Doctors Discuss Birthing Septuplets

Aired July 16, 2001 - 07:51   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
COLLEEN MCEDWARDS, CNN ANCHOR: We want to bring you up to date on another story that we've been following here this morning, on CNN LIVE AT DAYBREAK, those seven babies born to one woman on Thursday. We want to tell you how they're all doing.

We're going to talk to two of the doctors who helped delivery the septuplets at Georgetown University Hospital. We've got Dr. Craig Winkel, who is chairman of the department of obstetrics, and Dr. Siva Subramanian, chief of neonatology.

Thank you both for being here.

Dr. Winkel, can I start with you? How are the children doing this morning?

DR. CRAIG WINKEL, CHAIRMAN, DEPARTMENT OF OBSTETRICS: I'm sorry, we couldn't hear you.

MCEDWARDS: Just asking you, Dr. Winkel, if you would begin for us, please: How are the children doing this morning?

WINKEL: Well, as far as I know, the children are doing great. I think probably Dr. Siva can give you more information about them specifically, though.

MCEDWARDS: OK, Dr. Siva?

DR. SIVA SUBRAMANIAN, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL: Let me give you an update in terms of the babies. There are six of the babies that are now off the ventilator -- which is the breathing machine that helped them breathe in the last few days -- and they're now breathing on their own with a little bit of oxygen. And they are on what is called a special form of mild jaundice. And they seem to be making good progress, as of today.

MCEDWARDS: So, Dr. Siva, is their prognosis pretty good at this point?

SIVA: If you look generally, for babies who are 28 weeks who have made it this far is really very good. And they have a 95 percent chance of surviving, but there are still a lot of problems that can happen from now until the date of discharge, so we need to monitor these babies very closely and carefully as to how the individual babies will do. MCEDWARDS: Dr. Winkel, I understand there were 25 medical professionals involved in this C-section operation to bring these babies into the world. Can you tell us more about the procedure, why it was so complicated and so difficult?

WINKEL: Obviously, the delivery was fairly complicated. When you have to get seven babies out relatively quickly, things have to be pretty well organized. And we had a great staff here that rose to the occasion -- practiced and so forth. There were seven nurses in the delivery room, scrubbed, and waiting to take babies. Once the uterus was open, since this was a C-section, Dr. Helain Landy reached in and pulled out the first baby, clamped the cord, and handed the baby to the nurse, who immediately went outside. And after that, it was just pull out a baby, clamp the cord, hand it off. Fortunately, there were only seven, although we were prepared for eight.

MCEDWARDS: Oh, my goodness, an assembly line, if you ever saw one, I imagine.

WINKEL: That's right.

Dr. Siva, I understand that the family's identity is being kept private for privacy concerns, of course. But I'm wondering if you can just describe how the mother is doing today and what her reaction was when she saw these babies. I understand she actually saw a photograph of them first.

SIVA: Yes, the very first day, because she was still recovering from a fairly complex surgery, one of our nurse managers, Ms. Adamson, took the photographs to the mother, and she was able just to look at them and touch them to her chest. And then from the next day on, she was able to come in a wheelchair. And actually, this morning, both of them are visiting, and she got to hold the babies last night.

MCEDWARDS: All right, that's great news. We have to leave it there. Dr. Winkel and Dr. Siva, thank you both for your time this morning -- appreciate it.

WINKEL: Certainly.

SIVA: Thank you.

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