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CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (AP) — A South Texas woman has given birth to triplet girls, with two of the babies conjoined at the pelvis.
Dr. Haroon Patel, a pediatric surgeon at Driscoll Children's Hospital in Corpus Christi, said Monday that it will likely be at least six months until the conjoined babies, who share a colon, will be separated.
Catalina, Ximena and Scarlett were born Saturday at Corpus Christi Medical Center-Bay Area, said hospital spokeswoman Lisa Robertson. She said the conjoined girls — Ximena and Scarlett — were transferred Sunday to Driscoll.
Patel said the conjoined babies, who were in good condition Monday at the hospital, will need to get "bigger and stronger" before undergoing separation surgery. He also said doctors will need time to work on a plan to separate the girls.
Robertson said the girls were born to Silvia Hernandez of Brownsville via cesarean section, at about 34 weeks. A normal pregnancy is about 41 weeks. Each baby weighed 4 pounds, 11 ounces (2.12 kilograms). They were breathing without respirators.
Catalina remains at Corpus Christi Medical Center-Bay Area in good condition.
Hernandez and husband Raul Torres also have 2-year-old son.
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