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Twins born almost 1 month apart head home from hospital

BOSTON (MyFoxBoston.com) -- Twins were born almost a month apart after a local mother went into early labor and doctors were able to keep one baby inside to continue growing and nurse the premature baby back to health.

Both babies went home Friday, which their parents are calling a miracle. Even doctors are calling their survival extremely rare. Lidalva Da Silva's twin boys were born 24 days apart. Little Alexandre came along first and Ronaldo Antunes followed.

The family was able to go home after spending time in the hospital and Da Silva was looking forward to the change.

"I'm not afraid. I'm very excited. I'm ready, I feel I'm ready," she said.

When her water broke almost four months early, the chief of maternal fetal medicine at Tufts decided on the risky procedure of delivering one twin while giving the other more time to grow.

"It does happen in 4 million births, pretty rare still," Dr. Sabrina Craigo said.

The move is only possible for fraternal twins, who don't share a placenta. And the mother's contractions have to slow after the first baby is born.

Doctors said the boys are doing amazing, both at 7 pounds now, heading home to Somerville. In cases like this, both babies don't usually survive, according to doctors. That's why the parents are calling their babies miracles.