US Twin Sisters Born With Bones As Fragile As Eggshells

Three-year-old twin sisters from the USA’s Atlanta, Maryam and Mia dominated the news headlines after being diagnosed with Osteogenesis Imperfecta in September 2020. According to the Cleveland Clinic, Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI) is a genetic bone disease. Babies born with this disease have bones that break easily, often for seemingly no reason. According to the Wales Online portal, bones are as fragile as eggshells and the slightest knock, sneeze or hug can cause them to break. Due to this condition, the mother of Maryam and Mia, Rayan, 27, wasn’t allowed to hold the babies in her arms for five months while their tiny bones healed.

In an interaction with Wales Online, the doctors who had treated the twin sisters described their severe condition. According to them, the twins were unlikely to survive and would breathe their last soon. They, however, were successful in making it home after spending four months in hospital. As reported in the portal, they have countless fractures and their mother has to handle them carefully as a Chinese doll when lifting, changing, or hugging them. China doll is a type of porcelain doll made wholly or partially of glazed porcelain.

Rayan, the mother of these twins shared her experience of bringing them in an interview with the portal. She said,” The doctors compared their bones to eggshells, they are that delicate. It’s a life-long condition so we will always have to be extremely careful with them. “They’re like little China dolls. Even though they’re delicate, they have big personalities.”

Rayan was overjoyed with happiness that she was pregnant and discovered it was twins during the 12-week scan in January 2020. Everything went perfectly until the 20-week scan revealed they were behind on their growth. Besides that, the doctors also spotted that they had bowed legs and arms in the womb.

She said that all their genetic tests came back fine so doctors said they would keep an eye on their growth. Mia and Maryam were born on August 3, 2020, at 7.08 pm and 7.06 pm, weighing 2lb 15oz and 3lb 4oz, respectively. It was then the neonatal nurse told Rayan that her daughters had a lot of fractures in their bodies.