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U.S. gender wage gap grows for first time in a decade; Trump has embraced NC's Mark Robinson, calling him 'Martin Luther King on steroids'; Volunteers sought as early voting kicks off in MN; Women's political contributions in congressional races fall short of men's.

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Rising threats of political violence, a Federal Reserve rate cut, crypto industry campaign contributions and reproductive rights are shaping today's political landscape.

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A USDA report shows a widening gap in rural versus urban health, a North Carolina county remains divided over a LGBTQ library display, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz' policies are spotlighted after his elevation to the Democratic presidential ticket.

Triple Success: Life-Saving Surgery Protects Twins, Mom

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Monday, October 20, 2014   

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – When a family is expecting twins, the joy is multiplied, but so are the potential complications.

That's why one Missouri hospital is now leading the way with a potentially life-saving procedure performed before the babies are born.

Twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome is a complication that arises when both babies share one placenta, causing blood supply to be uneven and a 90 percent chance both babies will die if the problem reaches an advanced stage.

Dr. Corey Iqbal, section chief of fetal surgery at Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, recently performed the hospital's first minimally invasive laser treatment for this condition.

"The laser treatment, if you offer it to twin-to-twin transfusion stage 2 or greater, is associated with an 85 percent chance that you save one twin, and a 65 percent chance that you save both twins," he explains.

Children's Mercy is one of only a handful of hospitals nationwide to offer this procedure, and expects to perform more than a dozen each year.

Iqbal says it's important to remember that when operating on twins in utero, there are actually three patients, with the mother assuming much of the risk.

"It's great that not only the technology exists to be able to save these pregnancies and give these twins a shot at life, but also that we can do it here locally and families don't have to travel," he says.

As the rate of multiple births has been on the rise for several years, doctors estimate that there are now roughly 4,500 hundred cases of twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome each year in the United States.





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