When Rachel and Marco Vargas discovered they had spontaneously conceived four identical girls, they knew it was a rare pregnancy — medical experts say the odds of identical quadruplets happening are approximately one in 11 million. But after factoring in all of the medical complications that would follow, their doctor estimated that it could be somewhere around one in 40 million.
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“I’m so happy to finally be able to touch and hold my four little girls now,” Rachel said. “A lot of my pregnancy was filled with uncertainty, but I think it’s important for other families like ours to have hope and advocate for themselves — it’s okay to seek multiple opinions to decide on the best plan for your family.”
This was the 127th quadruplets delivery for renowned multiple birth specialist John Elliott, MD, who said he’s never seen a pregnancy like Rachel’s identical quadruplets in his career.
“The outlook when I first started to care for Rachel was quite grim,” Dr. Elliott said. “Despite the odds that we were facing, the combination of our highly trained medical personnel and the family’s positive attitude helped lead to this excellent outcome.”
The Cranston, Rhode Island, couple were faced with several risk factors early on in Rachel’s pregnancy. The first two babies shared the same amniotic sac and had a velamentous insertion of the umbilical cord, where the umbilical cord inserts into the fetal membranes instead of the placenta, which can result in a 30-40% risk of death to the fetuses. The second baby also has a congenital malformation and will likely need to undergo a heart procedure in the coming weeks. The third baby had a marginal cord insertion, where the umbilical cord attaches to the edge of the placenta instead of the center.
Two of the identical quadruplets were then diagnosed with twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome, or TTTS. This happens when identical twins sharing a placenta experience an uneven blood flow between them, causing one to give too much blood to the other. If untreated, TTTS can lead to low amniotic fluid and poor growth for one twin, and too much amniotic fluid and an enlarged heart for the other. The complexities became too much for the Vargas’ care team, and they began seeking other opinions.
At 21 weeks pregnant, the couple relocated to Phoenix to go under the care of maternal fetal medicine specialist Dr. John Elliott and the team at Valley Perinatal Services. Dr. Elliott is globally recognized for his decades of experience delivering hundreds of complex high-order multiples.
Rachel was admitted to Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix at 23 weeks for pre-term labor. At 30 weeks and three days, Rachel successfully delivered her four identical girls on Friday, Jan. 24, at the hospital via cesarean section. Sofía was born at 7:59 a.m., weighing 3 pounds, 7 ounces; Philomena was born at 8:00 a.m., weighing 3 pound, 3 ounces; Veronica was born at 8:00 a.m., weighing 2 pounds, 11 ounces; and Isabel was born at 8:02 a.m., weighing 3 pounds, 1 ounce.
Rachel and Marco, who also have a 1-year-old and a 3-year-old, recently purchased a new home to make room for their newest little ones. The four sisters are currently in the neonatal intensive care unit, where they will remain for further care and monitoring until they’re healthy enough to be discharged.
“We’re eager to get back home soon and begin this new part of our lives with our growing family,” Marco said. “It certainly hasn’t been an easy journey, but we’re so grateful for the realistic yet positive attitude that Dr. Elliott instilled in us, as well as the stellar care from all of the teams who have helped us at Banner.”
The Maternal Fetal Medicine Center at the Banner – University Medicine Women’s Institute is nationally recognized for advanced care for high-order multiples, complex pregnancies and fetal conditions. Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix is also the state’s first Level IV center for perinatal care certified by Arizona Perinatal Trust and is recognized as a top maternity hospital by Newsweek.
“On behalf of our entire team at Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix, we appreciate the Vargas family for entrusting us with their care, and we’re thrilled to welcome their four beautiful girls into the world,” said Daniel Post, CEO of Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix.
