Condition of Surviving Twin in Rare Operation Is Rated Good

David Moller, the baby who survived a rare prenatal ailment that took the life of his twin brother, improved Friday from fair to good condition, officials at Northridge Hospital Medical Center said.

David was delivered prematurely on Aug. 6, almost two weeks after his brother was removed from the womb in a rare operation that was an attempt to save both twins.

Blood vessels from the fetuses had become linked in the placenta, causing blood to be pumped from the other fetus into David and threatening to kill them both. The attempt to deliver one twin and leave the other in the womb was unprecedented, said Dr. Khalil Tabsh, who performed the surgery.

David was breathing without mechanical assistance and started taking food by mouth Friday, instead of being nourished solely through an intravenous tube, said Ann Bethel, a hospital spokeswoman.

Despite the improvement, hospital officials remained cautious because David, who was born almost three months prematurely, weighs only 2 pounds, 3 ounces.

“Any time you have a baby that tiny, things can happen quickly,” Bethel said. “He’s still not out of the woods.”