The first successful birth of sextuples in the Dominican Republic is still newsworthy, as the six babies are now in their small house in Santo Domingo, and the doctors who handled the case so successfully are now talking to the press. Hoy newspaper reports that the six neonatal specialists had been very worried about the babies, but today they are all very proud and happy with the success they have had. The doctors attribute the success to their teamwork and the planning that went into the birth at the General Hospital at the Plaza de la Salud in Santo Domingo. Both doctors – Frank Martinez Cabruja and Manuel Logrono – the heads of Pediatrics and Neonatology respectively, extolled the careful planning that went into the multiple birth. The doctors said that the births, coming during the Christmas holidays, disrupted everyone’s family routines, but that the births took precedence since none of the team had had any previous experience with such a scenario. One of the steps taken previous to the event itself was to sterilize the Neonatology room as well as all the equipment that was to be used in the births. The team was formed by seven neonatal specialists, eight gynecologists, nine nurses and two cardiologists. A medical director and assistant director were on hand at all times, starting before dawn on 26 December.
And on the home front the sextuplets are getting all the attention they need from their family and friends as well as the four nurses assigned to the case by the Ministry of Public Health. The mother, Maxima Perez oversees the whole process. Nurses Isidora Vinicio, Blasina Cordero de la Cruz, Antonia Giron and Justicia Guzman Brito work in 12-hour shifts with the six little babies that get a total of 144 ounces of milk and vitamins every 24 hours. An eight-battery inverter system helps the family face the long blackouts in their neighborhood. No-one is allowed into the nursery unless they have been properly sterilized. Because of all of the curious neighbors, the family has put in a large glass window, much like those used in maternity wards, in order for people to see their famous sextuplets.