Dunedin couple's twins a first in NZ

Dunedin couple Parviz and Kelli Najafi with their twins Arian (left) and Rania, the first...
Dunedin couple Parviz and Kelli Najafi with their twins Arian (left) and Rania, the first children to be born in New Zealand following embryonic testing to screen for haemophilia. Photo by Gerard O'Brien.
While Dunedin couple Kelli and Parviz Najafi can claim a New Zealand first title for their twins, they were the only parents in their antenatal class who did not know the sex of their babies.

That may sound surprising, since their twins' embryos had been subjected to pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD).

A few years ago, it would have been most important to the couple to know the sex of their unborn children because Mrs Najafi (36) is a carrier of haemophilia, something which she could hand down to a son.

Early attempts using embryo selection to prevent the disease meant all male embryos were discarded, whether or not they were affected, and there was no way of telling if female babies were carriers.

But by the time of the Najafis' successful pregnancy last year, the technology had developed to the stage where testing of cells taken when the embryos were at the eight-cell stage could establish whether the males were affected and the females carriers.

Christchurch Fertility Centre deputy director Dr Greg Phillipson said the twins, who will be 9 weeks old on Friday, are the first babies born in New Zealand to a haemophilia carrier using the new technology, and among a handful of babies throughout the world from embryos subjected to such testing.

The work was a collaboration between the centre, Canterbury District Health Board haematologist Dr Mark Smith and the board's molecular technology laboratory.

Dr Phillipson said the Najafis' timing was lucky, but their perseverance should not be underestimated.

There was always the risk they could have gone through all of the IVF cycles and the testing without a healthy embryo being successfully implanted.

Mrs Najafi was fearful of having a child with haemophilia, a condition which affected her late father, rendering him bedridden for most of his last 15 years.

Nine other family members had also been affected and some had died at birth.

The couple's journey to parenthood over about five years has not been easy, including failed in vitro fertilisations and miscarriage, as well as the pressure resulting from Iran-born Mr Najafi (42) being off work for about a year after being made redundant.

He is now employed again, however.

Their decision to fund one of their IVF cycles themselves, along with extra expenses associated with travelling to Christchurch, where PGD is carried out, left them an estimated $17,000 out of pocket.

The twins were born naturally at 34 weeks and three days, with first-born daughter Rania weighing 2.5kg and son Arian 10 minutes later 2.1kg.

The couple were pleased with their decision not to find out the gender in advance, believing it made the birth much more exciting.

"It was fantastic. It was like opening a present and getting a surprise," Mr Najafi said.

Neither of them favour the selection of embryos for gender alone.

Mrs Najafi said having twins was an expensive business and they have not yet been able to afford a double-buggy.

The babies use up to 18 disposable nappies a day.

At this stage, they are still sharing a cot, but a second cot will have to be bought.

Not that she is complaining.

Even on days like the one when the Otago Daily Times visited, when the babies were restless and she did not get the chance to drink the cup of tea made hours ago, she was grateful.

"When you see them looking at you and smile up at you, it's worth it."

The couple still have an embryo frozen for possible future implantation, but a weary Mrs Najafi said they might be waiting until the twins were at school before trying another pregnancy.

While she does not know the sex of the embryo, she does know it will not result in twins.

"Thank goodness it's past the splitting stage," she said..

 

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