Dozens of babies with spina bifida have been spared paralysis after being operated on while still in the womb.
The complex surgery, which may require a team of up to 30 doctors, has been performed on 32 babies in the womb since January 2020, NHS England said.
The condition prevents the spine and spinal cord from forming properly and can lead to bowel, bladder, and kidney problems, as well as paralysis.
Mila was saved from paralysis
Helena Purcell’s unborn baby was diagnosed with spina bifida and had surgery when she was 23 weeks pregnant.
The teacher was first told that her child would likely be paralyzed and incontinent, and that he would need a brain shunt.
She had fallen pregnant on her sixth IVF attempt and gave birth to a baby girl named Mila at University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH) in March this year, three months after the operation.
She said: “I can’t explain the huge difference the service has made for my family. NHS doctors are heroes to me, and the surgery they’ve done is just mind-blowing.
“If it wasn’t for them, Mila would be paralyzed. I am so grateful that she had this chance.
Mila is showing good signs of development and is fully continental, although she still has fluid on her brain, and is now in the care of Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH).
Helena Purcell said NHS staff are heroes
According to NHS England, operating on babies between 23 and 26 weeks pregnant, instead of waiting until after birth, has a much better outcome for the child.
The team of 30 people involved in the surgery includes fetal surgeons, neurosurgeons, anesthesiologists (for mother and baby), obstetricians, neuro-pediatric surgeons, radiologists, a scrub team and neonatologists, in …
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Source: news.sky.com
This notice was published: 2021-05-02 12:39:00
