Couple celebrate CNY with miracle IVF triplets

In sixth week, she thought she was carrying twins

- Theresa Tan

A Singaporean couple are celebrating Chinese New Year with a miracle of life they did not anticipate when they embarked on assisted reproduction in 2019 - triplets born from one frozen embryo, giving them the big family they had dreamt of having.

Mr Edwin Chua, 35, and his wife, Dr Claire Low, 33, welcomed Gareth, Kenneth and Seth on Jan 3. They also have a two-year-old son, Keith.

The triplets were born one minute apart at 34 weeks through caesarean delivery at KK Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH), weighing between 2.1kg and 2.3kg.

Dr Low, a physiotherapist, told The Sunday Times: "We have always wanted a big family and we are very glad the triplets are here with us safely."

While triplets are already very rare, what is more astonishing is that only one embryo had been implanted in Dr Low's womb through in-vitro fertilisation (IVF).

The chances of an embryo splitting into triplets are "extremely rare", said her doctor, Dr Sim Wen Shan, a consultant at KKH's Department of Maternal Fetal Medicine. A landmark Japanese study found that only 0.04 per cent of pregnancies from a single embryo transfer produced triplets.

Dr Sim said that in IVF procedures, implanting one embryo is now recommended to reduce the chances of having twins or triplets, which can increase the risks in pregnancy.

Mr Chua, an officer in the Singapore Armed Forces, recalled that when they were told they were expecting triplets, "it was a big shock for the both of us".