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Twins Pia and Noel Mercado, born on Christmas Day.

It’s always a special cause for celebration when a new infant is welcomed into the world. But there’s extra reason to be merry and bright when babies are delivered on Christmas Day.

Each year, about 3.6 million babies are delivered in the United States, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with fewer babies born on Christmas than on any other day of the year. Since doctors rarely schedule C-sections on public holidays or weekends, and about one in three American babies are born by C-section, there are 30-40% fewer babies born on December 25 than on the most popular day of the year.

That makes the arrival of the Mercado twins extra special. Little Pia Fernanda was delivered via C-section at 8:00 a.m. at South Texas Health System McAllen, weighing in at 5 lbs., 7 oz. and measuring 19 inches long. Her brother, Noel, arrived a minute later, weighing 5 lbs., 3 oz. and measuring 17.5 inches long.

While their estimated date of delivery was January 6, 2025, or Three Kings Day, a popular Christian holiday celebrated in many Hispanic and Latin American cultures, their mother always believed they would be born on another holy day. “I had a feeling that they would arrive on Christmas Day, I don't know why,” says Tania Perez of the first two additions to their family. “But that’s not all… From the beginning, their father liked the name Noel for the boy. After investigating the name, we discovered it meant of or born on Christmas. So, it’s a very big coincidence that they were born on this day. It’s our Christmas gift!”

The babies were the first of four babies delivered on Christmas Day at STHS McAllen and STHS Edinburg. STHS McAllen welcomed a third Christmas baby into the world less than 30 minutes after the twins’ arrival. Little Daniela was born at 8:26 a.m., weighing 5 lbs., 8 oz. and measuring 19 inches long, to mother Luz Gomez, who raced to STHS McAllen overnight after her water broke during the family’s Noche Buena celebrations.

Meanwhile, staff at The Maternity Center at STHS Edinburg delivered Little Khalessi at 11:19 a.m. She weighed in at 6 lbs., 9 oz. and measured 21 inches long. Her parents, Yukari and Edgar Mendez, are calling her arrival a little Christmas miracle.

STHS staff members are overjoyed to be spending Christmas Day with the four Christmas babies and their families. The staff at STHS McAllen and STHS Edinburg have gone the extra mile to make the day extra special for them with special holiday-themed gifts, including a Baby’s First Christmas onesie and a gift certificate for a massage for each of the moms donated by Spa La Posada.

Emphasizing the dedication South Texas Health System provides in women’s services, the healthcare system has consistently been a Healthgrades Five-Star Recipient for C-Section Delivery, Hysterectomy and Gynecology Procedures, reflecting STHS’ commitment to consistently deliver high-quality women’s healthcare and placing the organization in the upper echelon of hospitals for OB/GYN care nationwide.