NEONATAL ICU STAFF SEEING DOUBLE AT VALLEY HOSPITAL.

Byline: ANGIE VALENCIA-MARTINEZ Staff Writer

VAN NUYS -- For the past two weeks, the nursing staff at Valley Presbyterian Hospital has been seeing double -- literally -- with the premature birth of six sets of twins.

First came the birth of the Barraza twins. The Morales twins were next, and then the Insfran twins were born after that.

Not to be outdone, the Hernandez and Diaz twins made their appearance. The Cruz twins made six sets simultaneously in the hospital's neonatal intensive care unit -- a record in the 26-year-old NICU.

``It's been very busy,'' said NICU Nurse Manager Adree Smith. ``There's never been as many sets of twins like right now.

``With Independence Day, it seems the babies wanted their freedom ... to be out in the world.''

Five sets are identical twins. Three of these sets are boys; two sets are girls.

The only boy-girl set, Ariana and Frankye Cruz, 4 days old today, are also the only fraternal twins in the bunch.

``I wanted twins,'' said their father, Jose Alfredo Herrera, 23, as he cradled a wide-awake and hungry Frankye. ``I didn't think it was going to happen.

``I can't wait to take them home and spend time with them, feed them, change them, bathe them.''

Holding baby Ariana, first-time mother Sandra Cruz, 22, said she was thrilled to have both a boy and a girl.

``I don't have to keep trying to have more children,'' she said.

All six sets of twins were conceived without the use of fertility drugs. The 12 babies weigh 2 to 3 pounds each and were born four to six weeks early by Ceasarean section.

``It's just an unusual occurrence,'' said Laurence Shaw, co-director of the neonatal intensive care unit, who had no scientific explanation for the twin-baby boom. ``It's an exciting time for us.''

Half of the newborns are restricted to incubators, breathing with the aid of a ventilator. The others are bundled together -- two to a crib -- for the continuity of being almost as close as they were in the womb, which may help them grow faster and get healthier sooner.

Although the Barraza girls have been separated temporarily, their mother Sandra, 21, said she can't wait to get them home to their Sylmar nursery, which has been decorated in pink and white with a butterfly motif.

``They need to be together,'' said the babies' grandmother, Grace, tears welling in her eyes. ``How do you put into words what we're feeling? Our whole lives are going to change.

``God willing -- me and my daughter will raise our girls together. Two baby girls are going to double the fun, double the love.''

Sandra Barraza, a single mother, said it wasn't until her five-month prenatal ultrasound that she found out she was expecting twins. ``I was shocked,'' she said. ``We got in the car and said this is a miracle.''

On Thursday afternoon, the medical staff was abuzz with more baby talk. Two additional twins had been born in the past two days, but they were able to be cared for in the newborn nursery rather than the NICU.

But until the babies reach the 4-pound mark, Smith and her staff will have their hands full with the twins: Julissa and Isabella Barraza; Ariana and Frankye Cruz; Brian and Brandon Diaz; Alexis and Alexandro Hernandez; Nicolas and Santiago Insfran; and Yarexi and Jaqueline Morales.

``The staff likes this,'' Smith said with a smile. ``We're going to miss them when they're gone.''

angie.valencia(at)dailynews.com

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CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1) Frankye Cruz is held by his proud father, Jose Alfredo Herrera, while the mother, Sandra Cruz, holds Frankye's twin sister, Ariana, at Valley Presbyterian Hospital.

(2) The Morales twins, Yarexi, left, and Jaqueline, share a crib in the neonatal intensive care unit at Valley Presbyterian Hospital in Van Nuys.

John McCoy/Staff Photographer