In an extremely rare 1% possibility, US couple welcome set of 'MoMo' twins

A couple from Tuscaloosa, Alabama in the United States, Britney and Frankie Alba expanded their family from two to six in a little over two years, as they had a second set of twins just a year after their first. Britney found out that she was pregnant again only six months after giving birth to her first set of identical twin boys, Levi and Luka.

The initial shock turned to joy than worry when Alba and her husband, Frankie, were informed of the risks associated with MoMo twins, reported University of Alabama at Birmingham Women and Infants Center where Britney delivered the second set of twins. 

“While extremely rare, MoMo twin pregnancies have a high risk of fetal complications,” said Rachel Sinkey, M.D., assistant professor in the UAB Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. “They share everything except umbilical cords, which can easily become entangled in a single sac. Unfortunately, there is a high rate of stillbirths associated with MoMo twins.”

The twins born to the Alba couple were classified as monoamniotic-monochorionic or "MoMo" twins, which means they shared the same placenta, amniotic sac, and fluid. This type of twinning is one of the rarest and occurs in less than 1 per cent of all births in the United States.

(Image: Britney Alba/University of Alabama at Birmingham)

When Alba was 25 weeks pregnant, she was admitted to the hospital's High-Risk Obstetrics (HRO) unit and stayed there for over 50 days. During her hospitalization, a team of maternal-fetal specialists, high-risk obstetrics nurses, and neonatologists provided Alba with continuous prenatal care. This involved conducting fetal monitoring multiple times each day to ensure that the twins remained healthy. Due to the uncommon nature of her pregnancy, medical students, residents, and fellows also visited Alba during her hospital stay.

“It was nerve-wracking to think about the journey ahead of me and being away from my boys for several weeks,” Alba said. “But I knew I had a village at home and would be in great hands at UAB, which calmed my worries.”

(Image: Britney Alba/University of Alabama at Birmingham)

Now starting 2023 as a family of six, Alba reflected on her journey with the center. “I had to spend a lot of time alone at UAB, but the HRO team took me in and became my family,” Alba said. “It was not an easy journey, but we’re lucky to have had the team and resources at UAB to get us through everything. Now that everyone is home, I feel very blessed and humbled to finally have my whole family home.”

The twins have been named Lydia and Lynlee by the Alba couple.