Growing Your Baby - Parenthood from Pregnancy to Pre-school » Morrison 6

Update: Remaining Morrison Sextuplet Doing Well

Lisa — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 06:53:05 +0000

The day Brianna Morrison gave birth to her six babies at 22 weeks gestation I was worried. I knew that the chances of just one baby surviving was slim let alone 6. Week after week I reported on the babies as they passed away with sadness wondering if this poor couple, who had been through SO much, was going to get to bring home at least one child.

I found an update on this little fighter online tonight and thought I would share it with all of you seeing I still get quite a few people e-mailing and asking for additional information.

Sylas Christopher is the only surviving baby. He is reported to be doing well. A friend of the Morrison family recently got the chance to visit with Brianna at the hospital and capture some nice bonding moments between her and Sylas.

He appears to still need assistance breathing and feeding, but he looks healthy and happy.

We are so happy to hear that things are going well for the Morrisons. They have been through so much in the last few months. It is nice to see that Sylas is doing well and that after all of the sadness they have experienced, they will get to bring a baby home.

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5th Minnesota Sextuplet Dies

Lisa — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 20:51:00 +0000

It has been almost a month since I have written on the Morrison Sextuplets.

I am sad to report that a fifth baby has passed away.

Lucia Rae Morrison was born June 10 along with her sister and four brothers at 22 weeks gestation. Lucia’s sister and three of her brothers died in June.

The sextuplets’ parents are Ryan and Brianna Morrison, of St. Louis Park, Minn.

Their surviving son, Sylas Christopher, remains in critical condition at Children’s Hospital in Minneapolis.

Please pray that this family gets to bring Silas home. Regardless of how the babies were conceived, they were made with love and these parents deserve to have a baby at the end of their tiring and very sad road.

They will be in my thoughts and prayers. I hope that doctors are able to work miracles on their last remaining baby.

SOURCE

Fourth Minnesota Sextuplet Dies

Lisa — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 03:32:00 +0000

Just 2 weeks after making her entrance into the world, 18 weeks early, Cadence Morrison has passed away.

Four of the six Morrison babies born June 10 in Minneapolis have died, according to a statement released today by Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota.

Cadence Morrison died Saturday. Three of her brothers, Tryg, Bennet and Lincoln, died within one week of their birth. The remaining two children – one boy and one girl – remain in critical condition at Children’s in Minneapolis.

“Though our difficult time continues, our faith remains strong,” said parents Ryan and Brianna Morrison in the statement. “Our families, friends, and churches have provided us with great comfort, for which we are deeply grateful.”

The sextuplets were born at 22 weeks, which is considered an extreme limit of viability. Their birthweights ranged from 11 ounces to 1.3 pounds. Health officials believe the Morrison babies were the first sextuplets to all survive birth in Minnesota.

There are roughly a dozen sets of sextuplets to survive infancy in U.S. history. The Masche sextuplets, who were born in Arizona within 12 hours of the Morrison children, remain stable.

Brianna Morrison, 24, had taken fertility drugs for the pregnancy. The Morrisons decided against selective reduction, a procedure that would have eliminated some of the fetuses in the womb but improved the odds of survival for the remaining ones.

The Morrison’s struggle has gained worldwide attention. Nearly 200,000 people have visited their web site.

“I just wanted to say that I am praying with all my heart,” said one writer on the site. “I check this site regularly 2 or more times a day praying to see that things are improving. I can’t imagine what you both are going through”

I am praying that this family will get to take these remaining twins home. After everything that they have been through it would be heartbreaking for them to not have a baby to take home in the end.

This poor girl was on bedrest for weeks trying to stay calm so that the babies could grow. Her and her husband moved into the hospital, to improve the babies chances of survival.

I cannot imagine how they are feeling right now…Our thoughts are with them.

SOURCE

The Sextuplet Backlash

Lisa — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 20:13:00 +0000

Since posting the arrival of the 2 sets of sextuplets last week I have received MANY e-mails expressing concerns and anger.

The e-mails come from parents who have singletons and multiples, grandparents and health care providers.

There are three issues that are weighing on most peoples minds – the future health of these babies, reducing the fetuses when the number of babies is revealed and the shameless promotion of them to receive financial support.

The media circus around the births of these megamultiples appears to be leaving out the fact that carrying this many babies is not natural or healthy. Just hours after delivering her 30 week sextuplets, last week, Jenny Masche almost died from heart problems due to the huge volume of blood she was carrying in her body while pregnant. When the babies were delivered, some the extra blood flooded out of her uterus and “stretched her heart and blood vessels to a very, very critical level.

An increased chance of gestational diabetes, risks for hypertension, stroke and preeclampsia are also some of the other issues that these multiple birth moms face.

It may seem exciting and unbelievable that so many babies were born at the same time, but it is not safe. Any baby born before 32 weeks runs the risk of having long term health problems. Carrying, triplets, quads or quints past 30 weeks is difficult guaranteeing that the babies will all need to be admitted to the NICU to grow further on arrival.

This, of course, brings up the issue of fetal reduction. I can see why both couples chose not to reduce the fetus’ growing inside their wombs. The procedure is similar to an abortion and needs to be performed between 9 and 11 weeks gestation. It would be hard for a parent who has been trying for many years to conceive to decide that they do not want to keep one or more of their ‘babies’.

You can, however, get caught up in the previous success stories of other multiple families which sometimes makes couples feel invincible. Not all pregnancies are the same, therefore you cannot expect to have the same outcome as other moms.

I truly believe that the Morrison babies were delivered and resuscitated because they were a high profile case. There are not many hospitals that would resuscitate a 22 week old baby, let alone 6. When I was 23 weeks 5 days pregnant and in labour, the OB told me that they were not going to save my baby if he was born that day. They strongly believed that any baby born before 24/25 weeks would have such extensive health issues that it is better to just not try and in this case they were wrong. My son was born at 24 weeks 1 day and is currently thriving like any 18 month old baby. That is not to say that he would have had the same outcome if forced to arrive 2 weeks prior to his birth date.

I don’t believe that these parents realize what they have signed up for. Your yearly trip to Mexico – will no longer happen. Personal time – gone. Co-ordinating nurses, therapists, pediatricians and specialists will become your full time job after you are done dealing with endless laundry, feedings and diaper changes.

The last issue is summed up by a GYB reader Anna

When I had my triplets there was no foundation set up to support our family and no registry posted on our website. We made due with what we had and got support from friends and family. What makes these families any different? Where do there get off thinking that the rest of us should support their family? My husband works 2 jobs because I have to stay home with our boys. We don’t have the luxuries that we used to have, but everyone is fed and happy. I think it is ridiculous for this family (Masche family) to suggest that the rest of us could contribute to their new truck or nursery. You made the decision to have six babies, it is your responsibility to support them! (the truck has been since removed from the site with the 3 registries still listed)

MANY readers feel the way that Anna does. Moms who have twins, triplets and single babies have been writing, echoing these same sentiments. They have had to support their families the old fashioned way – by working over time or 2 jobs. Now that the Morrison 6 is now just triplets. Should they still warrant the donations that were intended for 6 babies? Some people think no. After all, there were over 7,000 sets of triplets born in the U.S. last year.

Everyone has their reasons why they think that fertility drugs should be monitored more closely. Mine is that I think it is sad that women are having ‘litters’. We were not meant to deliver 5, 6, or 7 babies at a time. That’s why your chance of having ‘natural’ triplets is 1 in 8,100 (only about 30% of triplets are ‘natural’), ‘natural’ quads is 1 in 729,000 (only about 6% of quads are ‘natural’) and ‘natural’ quints is 1 in 55,000,000.

Now that the babies are here I hope that the population can set aside their animosity for how they got here and wish them the BEST. I suspect that these moms probably thought that having six babies would be better than not having any at all…

After the fanfare is over and the cameras have moved on to the next sensation, both moms will have a lot of work ahead of them to keep their multiples safe, fed and loved.

We wish them the best – let’s hope they’re up to the challenge.

Third Sextuplet No Longer With Us

Lisa — Sun, 17 Jun 2007 02:53:00 +0000

It gives me great sadness to report that the Morrison 6 is down to 3.

A third boy, Lincoln Sean Morrison, died Friday. Two of his brothers, Tryg and Bennet, died earlier in the week.

The four boys and two girls were born last Sunday about four and a half months early in a Minneapolis hospital. Doctors had advised the couple to selectively reduce the number of viable foetuses to two, but they declined.

Parents Ryan and Brianna Morrison released a statement saying it has been “a difficult week” for them, and thanked everyone for their prayers and support.

“We continue to trust in the Lord and are hopeful for a good outcome for Cadence, Lucia and Sylas,” the statement said.

Hospital officials said no further information would be released.

A baby born at 22 weeks is very underdeveloped. Their eyes have just formed and will not open for 4-6 weeks yet. Their tiny nostrils are still closed and only with help from the mom’s body does the baby’s liver start to break down bilirubin, which has to be monitored closely for high levels to prevent brain damage.

Some babies have survived at this gestation, but not enough to have strong statistics on. The surviving three babies have a very long tough road ahead of them.

I hope that the bad news is behind them and that Ryan and Brianna get to bring their remaining three babies home.

SOURCE

Second Morrison Sextuplet Dies

Lisa — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 23:45:00 +0000

It is very frustrating to report that these babies are no longer with us. I know that they were born WAY too early and that Brianna, their mom, couldn’t keep them in any longer, but deep in your heart you hope that they will be strong and surprise us all by thrieving in their artifical environment.

The second of the Morrison sextuplets born last Sunday in Minneapolis has died, according to a statement from Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota

Tryg Morrison died Thursday night, and his brother, Bennet, died Wednesday. The four surviving newborns remain in critical condition at Children’s neonatal intensive care unit in Minneapolis.

The babies were born to Brianna and Ryan Morrison late Sunday night at 22 weeks gestation, which is considered at the extreme limit of viability. Their birthweights ranged from 11 ounces to 1.3 pounds. Their struggles are in stark contrast to sextuplets born 12 hours later in Arizona. The Masche sextuplets were delivered less than a day later at 30 weeks gestation and all weighed more than two pounds.

Both couples conceived through infertility procedures. They both have cited religious reasons for declining the selective reduction of the fetuses in order to reduce the risk of the newborns dying or suffering disabilities.

Brianna and Ryan Morrison offered thanks for the hospital care and support of family and friends. “Our faith remains strong as we are in the midst of mourning our sons,” they said in the Children’s statement.

SOURCE

One Of The Minnesota Sextuplets Dies

Lisa — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 13:43:00 +0000

One of the “Morrison 6″ sextuplets died Wednesday night: one of the boys named Bennet Ryan Morrison, according to hospital officials speaking for the parents.

Brianna Morrison, 24, of St. Louis Park, gave birth to four boys and two girls shortly before 11:30 p.m. Sunday at Children’s Hospital in Minneapolis after 22 weeks of gestation.

Brianna and her husband Ryan Morrison, also 24, have yet to speak directly to the media since the births.

The couple’s other five children, three boys and two girls ranging in weight from 11 ounces to 1.3 pounds, remained in critical condition at Children’s Thursday evening. The boys’ names are Tryg, Lincoln and Sylas, and the girls Lucia and Cadence.

Following the death, the Morrisons released a statement Thursday through Children’s Hospital, saying “Our family wishes to express gratitude for the support of our families, friends, and churches, as well as the staffs of Abbott Northwestern Hospital and Children’s of Minnesota. Our faith remains strong in the midst of mourning our son.”

Hospital officials said they would not be releasing any additional information – including Bennet’s weight – on Thursday.

“The parents both mourn the loss of their son as well as continue to focus on their children in the NICU,” a statement from Children’s said.

The survival rate for sextuplets is relatively low: no more than a dozen sets have survived infancy in the United States.

After learning of the sextuplets, doctors encouraged the Morrisons to consider selective reduction to reducing the number of embryos and improve their odds of a healthy birth. They declined to remove any of the babies, due to religious beliefs. Ryan and Brianna believe that each one of their babies is a miracle given to them by God.

SOURCE