Tiscali Celebrity

Actor DENNIS QUAID and his wife KIMBERLY have pleaded with the press to respect their privacy while their newborn twins fight for their lives following an accidental drugs overdose.

Quaid's children Thomas Boone and Zoe Grace - born on 8 November (07) - are in intensive care in Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles after they were given 10,000 unit doses of anti-coagulant Heparin by mistake, instead of the standard 10 units.

On Tuesday (20Nov07), the hospital's Chief Medical Officer, Michael L. Langberg, admitted the error was "preventable" and involved "a failure to follow our standard policies and procedures".

He has also apologised to the distraught couple, according to reports.

In a statement to E! News, Quaid's representative Cara Tripicchio says, "Dennis and Kimberly appreciate everyone's thoughts and prayers and hope they can maintain their privacy at this difficult time."

The babies are 53-year-old Quaid's second and third children - he already has a 17-year-old son with his ex-wife Meg Ryan. (MT/WNWE/TN)

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