Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital said Monday it successfully treated extremely premature triplets who weighed only 660g, 550g, and 540g at birth.

On July 17, a Vietnamese migrant woman delivered the premature triplets at 23 weeks gestation at the hospital, located in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province.

The triplets faced a very low survival rate of approximately 20 percent, indicating that they would require professional resuscitation, including proper breathing support, immediately after birth to have a chance of survival.

Because of their extreme prematurity, all three triplets had to confront a range of severe medical conditions, such as cerebral hemorrhage, patent ductus arteriosus, retinopathy, intestinal obstruction, intestinal perforation, sepsis, and chronic lung disease.

In collaboration with the obstetrics and gynecology department, medical personnel from the pediatrics and neonatology departments assembled to conduct resuscitation and treatment sequentially. Faculty members, specialists, and NICU nurses from the pediatrics and neonatology department dedicated themselves to the around-the-clock care of the infants.

Thanks to the hospital's outstanding care, the first child was discharged on Nov. 18, weighing 2.6 kilograms, four months after birth, and joyfully reunited with their parents. The second and third children are anticipated to be discharged following ostomy restoration surgery, once they attain their target weight.

As the triplets navigated through various life-threatening situations, their medical expenses skyrocketed. Up to this point, they have accrued approximately 400 million won in medical costs. The parents of the triplets are Vietnamese migrant laborers, facing financial constraints that make it impossible for them to cover these substantial medical expenses.

Upon learning of the situation, the hospital’s social work team quickly connected with sponsoring organizations to collect donations. Many organizations including migrant groups have donated about 200 million won to date. 

Tsun Ti Hua, 26, the mother of the triplets, said, she was grateful to Dr. Shin Eung-jin, the director of the hospital, the medical staff, and the sponsors for giving her three children the same treatment opportunities and life under difficult circumstances. 

“We will raise them well so that they can give back to society the great love they have received,” she said.

"The triplets have survived several major crises and surgeries, including apnea and stoma placement, and I feel very proud and rewarded as their primary care physician," said Dr. Park Ga-Young, a professor of pediatrics at Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital .

"Even after they are discharged from the hospital, they need continuous attention and support as they need to be closely monitored for any problems that may arise in the future through outpatient care."