A team of over 50 medical experts help ensure safe delivery for high-risk pregnancy
Jersey City, NJ, January 11, 2019 – For the first time in Hudson county, quintuplets were delivered at Jersey City Medical Center, an RWJBarnabas Health facility. With the help of a health care team of over 50 experts, mom, Abla Boutaba, and dad, Salim Mostefaoui, welcomed five babies: three girls, Nouha, Tala and Rouba, and two boys, Elmahdi and Elhadi, on Sunday, January 6.
In the weeks leading up to the births, Boutaba was admitted early on two separate occasions for cardiac issues. Knowing the risks associated with pregnancies of multiples and with Boutaba’s existing cardiac condition, at approximately 18 weeks, Jersey City Medical Center created a multidisciplinary team of obstetricians, anesthesiologists, neonatologists, nursing staff, respiratory therapists, and cardiologists to plan for the delivery.
“Our team met weekly to organize, practice and simulate drills for a smooth and safe delivery of all five babies,” said Lance Bruck, MD, FACOG, FACS, Vice President and Chairman, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Jersey City Medical Center. “The safety of mom and baby is our highest priority. Welcoming a new child is one of the most important experiences in life, and choosing the best team is especially meaningful. At Jersey City Medical Center, we are committed to helping expectant parents prepare for each development from preconception to post-delivery, providing comprehensive maternity care and services that ensure a comfortable and safe delivery.”
With 10 experts assigned for each baby, doctors safely delivered all five babies via Caesarean section and immediately provided all necessary treatment in Jersey City Medical Center’s Level III Regional Perinatal Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Jersey City Medical Center’s state-designated perinatal center offers first-rate treatment and care for hundreds of newborns each year. Every child receives watchful 24/7 care with state-of-the art bedside and central monitoring. The trusted multidisciplinary team of experts gives premature newborns the excellent care needed to lead normal and healthy lives.
“Jersey City Medical Center is patient centered and quality driven,” said Michael Prilutsky, President and Chief Executive Officer of Jersey City Medical Center. “We are proud to have the expertise and technology necessary for comprehensive maternity care to manage all patients, ranging from uncomplicated pregnancies, deliveries and newborn conditions to the most challenging and high-risk.”
The odds of having quintuplets are extremely rare. In 2017 alone, there were only 49 sets of quintuplets or higher order births born in the United States. Quintuplets and higher order pregnancies do not generally reach the full term of 40 weeks. For quintuplets, generally the average term for delivery is about 28 weeks. Boutaba delivered at only 27 and a half weeks. Fortunately, mom and babies are all doing exceptionally well. The babies are continuing to receive care at the Jersey City Medical Center NICU.
“They are doing beyond well, all five of them,” said Dr. Bruck. “They are all breathing on their own and with birth weights that ranged from a little over 600 grams to a little over 1,000 grams, I would say they’re doing phenomenally.”
For more information on the personalized approach to maternity care at Jersey City Medical Center, call (201) 915-2466.
About Jersey City Medical Center: The Jersey City Medical Center (JCMC), an RWJBarnabas Health facility, is a modern 316-bed teaching hospital located on a campus overlooking the Statue of Liberty and NY Harbor. The medical center is conveniently located near major highways, PATH, bus and light rail stops on campus. JCMC is a state-designated Regional Trauma Center with more than 16,000 admissions and 90,000 Emergency Department visits annually. JCMC, a not-for-profit hospital, has received the highest-grade level “A” for safety for 13 reporting periods during2012-2018. The medical center is also a state-designated stroke center, a regional comprehensive cardiac center, a perinatal intensive care center, and a regional level 3 neonatal intensive care unit for critically ill newborns. JCMC, a provider of Advanced Life Support for Hudson County, runs 911 Medical Call Screening for Hudson County and operates one of the state’s busiest EMS systems. In addition, Jersey City Medical Center is a major provider of behavioral health services, including 24/7 psychiatric emergency/crisis screening programs. In 2017, the hospital was redesignated the Magnet Certification for Nursing Excellence for a third consecutive time, making JCMC the only medical center in Hudson, Essex or Union counties to achieve this honor.
CONTACT: Sharon Ambis
551-229-3506
Sharon.Ambis@rwjbh.org