One of Costa Rica’s sextuplets dies

Diego, one of the sextuplets born earlier this week in Costa Rica, died Wednesday afternoon, according to hospital authorities.

Dr. Roberto Araya, head of neonatal care at San Juan de Dios Hospital in San José, told reporters that the premature infant died at 2:10 p.m. after his lungs could not sustain him, the news site CRHoy.com reported. The child had been receiving respiratory and circulatory assistance since Tuesday afternoon, daily La Nación reported.

The 988-gram child was born with his five other siblings Sunday evening after only 28 weeks. Typical pregnancy lasts between 38 and 42 weeks, according to the National Institutes of Health. All six children were born between 900 and 1,100 grams.

The late child’s mother did not get to meet him before he died. The mother, Silvia Villegas, was still interned at Hospital México where the birth took place at the time of the death. The sextuplets were split up because there was not enough room for so many premature babies at Hospital México.

Local media reported that two of the other infants, Emma and Andrés, were doing well. Andrés was breathing on his own and was expected to start taking milk Thursday. Two others, Valentina and Gabriel, are reportedly in fair condition, while Tomás remains in serious condition, La Nación reported.