THE NEONATAL Unit at University Maternity Hospital Limerick is a busy place at any time of year and has been especially so in recent weeks with the arrival in quick succession of quadruplets, triplets and twins.Photographer PJ Corbett, who is a regular visitor to the unit, was on hand to capture the moment when the unique 4-3-2-1 combination of premature newborns was brought together for a photo.
It is the first-time the Limerick unit has had the privilege of caring for a set of quads, triplets, twins and singeltons all at the same time.
Lisa Fenton from Caherconlish, County Limerick, made a little bit of history when on October 5, she gave birth to the first set of quadruplets born in Limerick in 50 years.
Babies Alexander, Ashley, Maxwell and Kayla are the first children born to Lisa and her partner Wayne Downey and were delivered at UMHL by Prof Amanda Cotter and her team. The quads have been doing very well in Neonatal Unit ever since.
Triplets Dáire, Liam and Aisling Cussen were born, on October 27, to parents Olive and William and will soon be strong enough to go home to Raheen, Limerick.
Twins Ashton and Leo Mulcahy were born on October 13, to mum Lydia O’Doherty and dad Calum Mulcahy, from Annacotty.
Completing the 12 tiny singletons currently being looked after in the Neonatal Unit, in PJ’s photo, is little Maggie Roche from Charleville, County Cork, born to mum Mairead and dad Kieran on October 26.
Neonatal at UMHL is one of the busiest such specialised units in the country, with close to 700 admissions every year. There are now approximately 4,700 births at UMHL annually.
The Neonatal Unit at UMHL has 19 cots but often caters for more babies. It provides neonatal intensive care, high dependency and special care to premature and sick babies of the Mid-West, from 23 weeks of gestation upwards.
The team involved in caring for these babies includes four consultant neonatologists: Dr Roy Philip; Dr Niazy Al Assaf; Dr Con Sreenan and Dr Anne Doolan; along with 48 neonatal nurses and midwives under the clinical leadership of Margo Dunworth, Deirdre O’Connell and Marie Carroll; ward attendants; healthcare assistants; physiotherapists; radiography; laboratory and clerical staff and others.
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