Two NI mums give birth to triplets in same hospital within 24 hours

Brendan and Kirsty McMenamin from Downpatrick welcomed baby girl Zoey (weighing 4.10lb) and boys Cameron (5lb) and Brody (4.7lb) into the world at Ulster Hospital Maternity at Dundonald last Tuesday.

And the following day, proud parents Claire and Johnny Stewart, from Donaghadee had three baby girls; Libby (5.1lb), Evie (5.1lb) and Annie (4.4lb).

All six babies were born healthy.

A spokesperson for the South Eastern Trust said: “Certainly we have had triplets born here before, but it is highly unusual to have two sets of the born within hours of each other.”

Fewer than 200 sets of triplets are born annually in the UK and the odds of bringing three of the same sex into the world are 8,000 to one.

In the case of multiple births, the health risks for both mother and babies are significantly higher, with premature labour and low-birth weight the main concerns.

The vast majority of triplets are born premature, mainly due to lack of room to grow any further in the mother’s uterus.