Sahrish and Omar Iqbal’s Triplets Arrived 8 Weeks Early in Dubai, and All Three Babies Went Home After About a Month in the NICU

Three babies arrived at once, eight weeks ahead of schedule, and all three left the hospital with their parents after about a month in intensive care. Omar and Sahrish Iqbal welcomed their triplets at Emirates Specialty Hospital in Dubai Healthcare City, according to Khaleej Times, which reported the story on Nov. 6.

A high-risk pregnancy that ended at 32 weeks

The newspaper reports that Sahrish developed complications during a high-risk pregnancy. She was admitted with ruptured amniotic membranes and cervical dilation, signs that a premature delivery could be near. The triplets were born at 32 weeks, eight weeks before the expected due date.

Two doctors at the hospital are quoted in the report. Dr. Anfal Akram Al Mashaykhi, a specialist in obstetrics and gynecology, said, “Managing a triplet pregnancy requires a structured, multidisciplinary approach.” The article does not report the babies’ weights or the delivery method.

About a month in the NICU, each baby treated on its own terms

All three babies were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit, known as the NICU, and stayed about a month, Khaleej Times reported. Each was monitored and treated according to individual needs, and all three were discharged to go home with their parents.

Dr. Monika Kaushal, a consultant in pediatrics and neonatology, told the paper that at 32 weeks babies need close monitoring “because their organs and body systems are still developing.”

The hospital runs a Level III NICU, according to its own services page. It says the unit cares for newborns who need intensive medical care, including those born very early or with complications. The page lists a team of neonatologists, pediatricians, nurses and other specialists, and says follow-up for premature and sick newborns continues from discharge until age 2. Its equipment list includes specialized incubators and CPAP machines, and it names respiratory distress syndrome among the conditions the unit treats. The page describes the unit in general and does not mention the Iqbal family.

Why triplet pregnancies tend to end early

Early delivery is common with triplets, and health organizations say so plainly. The March of Dimes states that nearly all triplets and other higher-order multiples are born earlier than they should be, and that nearly all weigh less than they should at birth. It adds that most triplets and higher-order multiples are born by C-section.

Khaleej Times describes the same pattern. The paper reports that triplet pregnancies carry higher risks of premature birth, low birth weight and unequal fetal growth, as well as maternal conditions such as anemia, hypertension and gestational diabetes.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines preterm birth as a baby born before 37 weeks of pregnancy have been completed. It says babies born too early, especially before 32 weeks, have higher rates of death and disability, and lists breathing problems, feeding difficulties and developmental delay among possible outcomes. The agency adds that preterm birth affected about 1 of every 10 infants born in the United States in 2022. These figures describe preterm babies as a group and are not a prediction for any one family.

The March of Dimes also says mothers of multiples may need extra prenatal checkups so that providers can monitor growth, and lists preterm labor, anemia, gestational diabetes and preeclampsia among conditions that are more common in these pregnancies. The Khaleej Times report names several of the same maternal risks.

What care a premature baby typically needs

The American Academy of Pediatrics explains in its parent guide to caring for a premature baby why a NICU stay is often needed. Premature babies often breathe with difficulty because their lungs are not fully developed, so staff monitor breathing and heart rate continuously with a cardio-respiratory monitor and may give extra oxygen, a ventilator or temporary CPAP.

Premature babies also lose heat easily, the guide notes, and are typically placed in an incubator or under a radiant warmer after birth. Some babies receive fluids through an IV or a feeding tube at first, with feeding by mouth beginning once the doctor approves. The guide says breast milk provides antibodies that help a baby resist infection, and that mothers may need to pump milk for tube or bottle feeding.

The AAP says babies born after 30 weeks usually have minimal long-term problems, while babies born before 28 weeks often need specialized care. Khaleej Times also notes that premature babies may need help with breathing, feeding, temperature regulation and protection from infection.

Another family’s triple delivery was covered recently on Parent Diaries, when a Wisconsin mother went into labor with triplets at 27 weeks at a hospital with no NICU.

What has to happen before a premature baby goes home

For parents who are waiting, the AAP lists the milestones that doctors look for before discharge. A baby should be breathing without help, able to maintain body temperature, able to feed by breast or bottle and gaining weight steadily.

The Iqbal triplets went home after about a month, according to the newspaper. The article does not describe each baby’s individual progress, any equipment used or how the family is managing at home.

Because the report comes from a single outlet and the hospital’s own doctors, the medical context above comes from separate health organizations rather than from the Iqbals’ case. None of those sources discusses these three babies.

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This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.

Image: Imre Solt – CC BY-SA 3.0/Wikimedia Commons