Rare triplets from one frozen embryo celebrate first Christmas, birthday

In their first year of life, the Chua triplets have starred in a government commercial on television and joined a medical conference - on top of regularly attracting adoring and curious looks from their neighbours.

- Theresa Tan

Christmas Eve, Gareth, Kenneth and Seth celebrated their first Christmas and an early first birthday with a party for family and friends organised by their parents.

Their mother, Dr Claire Low, 34, said: "We are Christians, and Christmas is a time to give thanks for our gifts and blessings. And our children are our greatest gifts and blessing." Their father, Mr Edwin Chua, a 36-year-old Singapore Armed Forces officer, described the triplets' conception as a medical miracle or mystery.

Only one frozen embryo had been implanted in Dr Low's womb through in-vitro fertilisation (IVF), and the chances of an embryo splitting into triplets are extremely rare, said her doctor, Dr Sim Wen Shan.

Dr Sim is a senior consultant at the Department of Maternal Foetal Medicine at KK Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH).

In fact, a landmark Japanese study found that only 0.04 per cent of pregnancies from a single embryo transfer produced triplets.

The Chuas' older son, threeyear-old Keith, was conceived naturally.

Before Keith's birth, they had tried various fertility procedures, but to no avail.

In May 2022, the couple used one of their frozen embryos to try for a second child.

They were shocked to learn that they were expecting triplets, they told The Straits Times in an earlier interview shortly after the triplets were born on Jan 3.

Dr Low had always dreamt of having four children, so the triplets' birth was a dream come true.

The boys were born one minute apart at 34 weeks through Caesarean delivery at KKH. Gareth is the oldest, Kenneth is the middle child, and Seth, the youngest.

The birth of triplets is rare in Singapore.