Dennis Quaid's Newborn Twins in Medical Nightmare

TMZ has learned that Dennis Quaid's newborn twins are fighting for their lives after being inadvertently overdosed at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

Sources tell us the twins -- Thomas Boone and Zoe Grace -- were accidentally given a massive dose of Heparin, an anti-coagulant. Babies typically get 10 units. Our sources say they were each mistakenly given 10,000 units. The drug is used to flush out IV lines and prevent blood clots. We're told one dose was given on Sunday morning, another on Sunday evening.

We're told late Sunday night, both babies started to "bleed out." Both babies are now at Cedars in the neo-natal intensive care unit where we're told they are stable.

The twins were born to Quaid and wife Kimberly Buffington November 8 via surrogate.

A rep for Quaid did not immediately return our call for comment and there was no immediate comment from Cedars.

We're told a technician stored the Heparin in the wrong place, and when a nurse grabbed the medicine for the babies without looking -- it was the wrong dosage.

A source says the babies are now being given Protamine, which reverses the effects of Heparin.

UPDATE: We're told as many as thirteen patients at Cedars were mistakenly given the overdose of Heparin, but the effects are more critical because of the age and weight of the twins.

Story developing ...

Reader Comments

(Page 2 of 37) Previous 15 Comments | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Most Recent | Next 15 Comments

16. Omg!

Posted at 1:45PM on Nov 20th 2007 by cheerful

17. Oh my gosh, that is horrible.. I hope they are able to recover from this.

Posted at 1:45PM on Nov 20th 2007 by Emily S

18. Something like this happened to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis in September of 2006 where at least 3 newborns died! I thought there were more.. this seems like it should be easy preventable but yet it still happens too frequently!

Here is the article
http://www.theindychannel.com/news/9891816/detail.html

Posted at 1:46PM on Nov 20th 2007 by BP

19. This happened in another recent case listed in my local newspaper. Unfortunately it did not end in a good result. The infant was dead within 3 days.

Posted at 1:47PM on Nov 20th 2007 by jbird

20. #9 now if I said something like that but turned the race card I would be racist. I didn't know Jessy Jackson and AL sharpten read tmz.

Posted at 1:47PM on Nov 20th 2007 by al sharpten is in the house

21. Overdosing on heparin makes blood ooze through the walls of the veins and arteries and you die of internal bleeding. Most likely the babies are having multiple brain hemorrhages, i.e. strokes. If they make it (that's a BIG if), they'll most likely be severly brain damaged.

Btw, anticoagulants, like heparin, are also used as rat poison.

Posted at 1:49PM on Nov 20th 2007 by Hayden Panettiere

22. This is the saddest news I've read in a long time :(

Posted at 1:48PM on Nov 20th 2007 by Alanna

23. OMG! This is serious news. Now certain people want the race war again! Oh, hell no!
These are new born babies. Someone made a terrible mistake. Why not pray for the
Quaid Family and stop all the other bull....! For once stop madness!

Dennis our prayers go our to you and your wife and the babies. May the good lord help
you throught this.

Posted at 1:50PM on Nov 20th 2007 by Leo Woman

24. Um, #9, racist much?

And just to get you thinking (if that's even possible), you might want to look this up on the net: Martin Luther King Jr.-Harbor UCLA Hospital in South Central Los Angeles.

Posted at 2:22PM on Nov 20th 2007 by Liz985

25. This is absolutely horrifying........prayers going out to them, and the other patients (and their families) who where effected.

Posted at 1:58PM on Nov 20th 2007 by anonanon

26. Pray Pray Pray for a recovery of the two babies.
If TMZ didn't report the story fewer people may be praying for the babies.
Thank you TMZ
Pray Pray Pray
and THEN
Highlight the complete and utter stupidity of every person involved in making this disgusting, awful, heart wrenching mistake.

Posted at 1:51PM on Nov 20th 2007 by Curious In Connecticut

27. My mother, who lives in Louisiana, had this happen to a friend who DIED. They accidently gave her a massive overdose of Heparin. Her family sued the hospital and won a million dollars. This happened about twelve years ago in Monroe, LA.

Posted at 1:54PM on Nov 20th 2007 by Gypsytrill

28. SURELY, you guys will keep the cameras out of their faces during this terrible time. Seriously.

Posted at 1:53PM on Nov 20th 2007 by my thots on the subject

29. OMG this is horrible! I hope and pray the babies survive with no ill effects. The Quaid's should sue the pants off the hospital. The nurse grabbed the medication without loking? What kind of nurse is he or she? The nurse should have double checked the dosage before giving it to the twins. There is no excuse for this happening. I hope this person is fired. This mistake could have cost those babies their lives.

Posted at 3:24PM on Nov 20th 2007 by Victoria

30. This is beyond horrible. I can't find the words. I know Dennis Quaid and his wife are not reading TMZ right now, but I hope they learn one day that many people were horrified by what they are going through and that many people were/are praying for them.

God with your family.

Posted at 1:57PM on Nov 20th 2007 by Joan Short

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