A woman in China, born with a congenital condition known as a double uterus (two uteruses), gave birth to twins at a one-in-a-million chance.
Recently, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that Li gave birth to healthy twins—a boy weighing 3.3 kg and a girl weighing 2.4 kg—via cesarean section at the Fourth Xi’an Hospital in Shaanxi Province, China, in early September. Ms. Li was born with two uteruses. Double uterus is an extremely rare congenital condition that occurs in approximately 0.3% of women worldwide.
In Li’s case, both uteruses were fully developed, each with ovaries and fallopian tubes.
Women with this condition face risks such as recurrent miscarriages, preterm birth, fetal growth underdevelopment, and postpartum hemorrhage. It was reported that Li also experienced a miscarriage at 27 weeks for unknown reasons.
After learning of Li’s pregnancy in January, the hospital carefully planned to help her maintain the pregnancy beyond 37 weeks. Thanks to these efforts, the mother and the newborns remained healthy, and Li was discharged from the hospital four days after giving birth.
Cai Ying, senior obstetrician at Xi’an No 4 Hospital, explained that it is extremely rare to conceive naturally in both uteruses and that successfully carrying the pregnancy beyond 37 weeks is a one-in-a-million case.
Meanwhile, the medical community considers this case very rare and anticipates it will significantly contribute to research on pregnancy and childbirth in women with a double uterus.
In December of last year, there was another case in Alabama, U.S., where a woman with uterus didelphys gave birth to twins. It was reported that the woman had previously experienced three pregnancies and deliveries from a single uterus.
