Identical Triplets Born at GMBC Are 'Incredibly Rare'

Three boys born at the Greater Baltimore Medical Center this month are being hailed as wonder babies.

Thomas III, Finnegan James and Oliver Dean Hewitt entered the world on Tuesday, Oct. 6.

The boys are identical triplets. Only about 10 percent of triplets are identical, according to Victor A. Khouzami, M.D., chair of the Department of Obstetrics at Greater Baltimore Medical Center (GBMC).

While that in itself is unique, they were conceived without the use of fertility treatments.

“... to have a patient with spontaneous identical triplets is incredibly rare,” Khouzami said.

According to the most recent data from the National Center for Health Statistics, triplets or greater multiples account for approximately 0.1195 percent of births annually.

The likelihood has increased since the 1980s due to the use of fertility treatments and women giving birth after age 30, the U.S. Office on Women’s Health reports.

The Hewitts—Kristen, 35, and Tom, 32—conceived naturally and gave birth to three boys in “excellent condition,” Khouzami said.

First-born Thomas III “Trip” weighed in at 4 pounds, 3 ounces; second-born Finnegan “Finn” James was 3 pounds, 6 ounces; and last but not least, Oliver “Ollie” Dean weighed in at 3 pounds, 12 ounces, according to GBMC.

The couple had been trying to conceive for two years. They met while studying at Ohio State University in 2001 and will celebrate their four-year wedding anniversary this December, according to GBMC.

After their nephew was born in March, Kristen Hewitt said her sister-in-law told them they were up next, and “literally, the following weekend, I took a pregnancy test and it was positive.”

When they went to their first appointment and requested a sonogram, the couple was in for a shock.

“I remember the technician being very quiet at first and Kristen didn’t think that was ‘normal,’“ Tom Hewitt said.

“To break the silence, I jokingly said: ‘So is there more than one in there?’” he recalled. “The technician...said: ‘Yes, actually there are three!’ Kristen and I then looked at each other with pure joy and shock.”

Kristen Hewitt left her real estate job in August to stay off her feet and will work as a stay-at-home mom after going into labor at 33.5 weeks, GBMC reported. She says that they are excited about their family’s rapid expansion.

“Through our relationship, we’ve found that Tom and I work the best under pressure, so we take the triplets as not only a blessing, but also a challenge that we’re most certainly up for,” she said. “Finding a new place to live will be another welcomed test since our current row home is not conducive to raising triplets.”

The couple lives in Hampden, according to The Baltimore Sun.

They have an 11-year-old beagle/shepherd rescue dog named Jersey who they adopted when she was three months old. Tom Hewitt has been helping Jersey get ready for the triplets by bringing her the newborns’ blankets so she can get acclimated to their smell.

Tom Hewitt is a project manager for a transportation planning and engineering firm that specializes in Americans with Disabilities Act compliance for buildings, facilities and operations.

According to GBMC, Kristen’s parents sold their home and moved from Ohio to Baltimore to help with the newborns.

Photo Credit: Greater Baltimore Medical Center.