Wisconsin doctor pulls double duty: 4 sets of twins in 24 hours

What could have been double trouble for Ken Merkitch, MD, turned into a double pleasure.

The day after Thanksgiving, the ob-gyn took call for a colleague at Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center in La Crosse, Wis. Instead of having an easy post-holiday, however, he accomplished something quite unusual.

He delivered four sets of twins in 24 hours.

"It was kind of a crazy 24 hours, but it was never overwhelming to the point where I needed to call somebody else in," Dr. Merkitch said.

His Nov. 23 started quietly enough at 8 a.m. as he checked on patients in the hospital during his on-call duty. Then a couple came in about 10 a.m. Dr. Merkitch delivered the first set of twins, Samantha and Maxwell, to parents Sarah and Mark Davis at 11:23 a.m. and 11:31 a.m, respectively.

The second set, named Marisa and Makenna, arrived at 8:37 p.m. and 8:40 p.m. to Delarae and Colin McHugh.

Annie and Steve Mach greeted their twins, Milo and Maggie, at 1:04 a.m. and 1:11 a.m.

And Carissa and Aaron Smith welcomed Ayden and Avery at 3:23 a.m. and 3:24 a.m. Those two required the only C-section of the group.

"I've probably had two [sets of twins] in 24 hours, but I've never had four," Dr. Merkitch said.

The National Center for Health Statistics, in its latest report on the subject, counted 386,018 incidences of twin births in the United States from 2002 to 2004, or 31.6 out of every 1,000 births. In Wisconsin, the number was slightly below average -- 6,324 twin births, or 30.8 out of every 1,000. Dr. Merkitch said Gundersen Lutheran had 31 sets of twins born in 2006.

One couple would come to the hospital and get ready for delivery, then the next couple would call and come in, he said. He found time for a single delivery to another woman, which meant nine babies in 24 hours.

"She was the lazy mother," he joked.

Fortunately, he had help with all the babies. "We had nurses who came in on their day off. The nurses were fantastic," he said. He showed his appreciation by showering them with Doublemint gum, Dubble Bubble and Twix.

What did he do when it was all over? "I took a five-hour nap."

Then came newspaper stories and an appearance with the parents on NBC's "Today" show.

Less than two weeks later, another tale of special delivery hit the media: Doctors at Ochsner Medical Center in New Orleans delivered quadruplet girls and triplet boys within 24 hours.

Dr. Merkitch said his four sets of twins are doing just fine.

"But I hope I never have to do it again," he said. "Eight is enough."