Michigan mother delivers quadruplets at Banner Good Samaritan

Daniel and Melissa Salinas hold three of their new
children - Natalia Pilar, Samuel Martin and Sofia
Nina, born at Banner Good Samaritan. The couple's
fourth child, Matthew Norberto, is being cared for at
Phoenix Children's Hospital.

PHOENIX (Sept. 1, 2006) – When Melissa Martin Salinas and husband Daniel discovered they would become the parents of quadruplets, they searched the Internet, asked other mothers of multiples and visited with renowned obstetrician Dr. Barbara Luke, all of whom led them to the high-risk obstetrics program at Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center and perinatologists John Elliott, M.D., and Julie Scott, M.D. Here, the Salinas family would receive proven expertise in the care of mothers expecting high-order multiples and the delivery of those babies.

On Tuesday, August 29, between 2:11 and 2:14 p.m., that advice paid off when the Ann Arbor, Mich., couple was able to look upon the faces of their four new babies moments after the birth of their quadruplets at Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center. Under the care of Dr. Elliott, the babies were delivered by Dr. Scott after a 33-week, 4-day gestation.

Melissa and Daniel are the parents of two baby girls and two baby boys:

Baby Boy A – Matthew Norberto weighed 5 lbs, 2 oz; and was born at 2:11 p.m.
Baby Girl B – Natalia Pilar, 4 lbs, 2 oz; 2:12 p.m.
Baby Boy C – Samuel Martin, 4 lbs, 15 oz; 12:13 p.m.
Baby Girl D – Sofia Nina, 4 lbs, 7 oz; 2:14 p.m.

Following delivery at Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center, three of the four infants were able to transition to their mother’s room; the fourth – Matthew Norberto – is being cared for at Phoenix Children’s Hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Nursery (NICU) located inside Banner Good Samaritan adjacent to the Labor & Delivery area. When Matthew is ready to leave the NICU, the Salinas family will leave for their new home in Farmington Hills, Mich.

Mrs. Salinas arrived in Phoenix to be close to Banner Good Samaritan and Dr. Elliott on June 1, 20 weeks into her pregnancy. She was admitted to the hospital on Aug. 24.

Dr. Elliott, medical director of Maternal/Fetal Medicine at Banner Good Samaritan, his colleagues at Phoenix Perinatal Associates, and the nursing staffs at Banner Good Samaritan and Phoenix Children’s Hospital have developed a national reputation for care and management of women delivering high-order multiples (triplets or more).

The hospital has also delivered 72 sets of quadruplets, five sets of quintuplets and one set of sextuplets since 1986 (and more than 500 sets of triplets overall), making Banner Good Samaritan the world leader for high-order multiple births. More than half of the quadruplet families have originated in another state.

As a Level III Perinatal Center, Banner Good Samaritan is nationally recognized for its care of high-risk mothers, especially mothers delivering triplets or more. Banner Good Samaritan is also a national referral center for many other high-risk obstetrical cases. In 2005, Banner Good Samaritan perinatologists introduced a specialized fetal surgery program, including twin-to-twin transfusions.

Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center has been providing medical care to Arizona and the Southwest since 1911. Banner Good Samaritan is owned and operated by Phoenix-based Banner Health, a not-for-profit organization, and is a flagship hospital within the system. The hospital was recently named to U.S.News & World Report’s “America’s Best Hospitals” list for Endocrinology, Heart Care and Heart Surgery, and Obstetrics and Gynecology. In 2005, Banner Good Samaritan was honored as one of Solucient’s “100 Top Hospitals” for Cardiovascular Care, and recognized as a Magnet facility by the American Nurses Credentialing Center, the highest honor a hospital can earn for its nursing care and practices.

Contact:
Banner Good Samaritan Public Relations
(602) 239-4411