Two premature babies have spinal cord carefully repaired by surgeons

A few weeks before even taking their first breath, the spinal surgery of two babies was carefully repaired by surgeons during the first operations of this type in the United Kingdom. Spina Bifida surgeries were successfully performed by a team at London College University Hospital this summer on two babies while they were still in the womb.

Spina bifida is usually treated after birth, but research shows that repairing the baby's spine earlier can help stop cerebrospinal fluid loss and improve health and mobility outcomes. Both operations were conducted by a team of 30 people, under the coordination of Professor Anne David of UCL.

The surgical team at UCLH and the Great Ormond Street Hospital had already traveled to Belgium to train at a center in Leuven, where more than 40 such operations have already taken place.

Spina bifida is a condition that develops during pregnancy when the bones of the spine do not form properly, creating a space that leaves the spinal cord unprotected. This can cause the baby's cerebrospinal fluid to leak and compromise brain development, potentially leading to long-term health and mobility problems.

Spina bifida is a disease that affects about one in every 1 child every year in Ireland, the country with one of the highest spina bifida birth rates in the world.

In the United States, a recent major trial has confirmed the health benefits and mobility of the procedure before birth. It has shown a 50% reduction in the need to insert shunts into the brain to drain fluids, a procedure that causes long-term complications. Brain and motor function is improved for non-shunted children, researchers said.

In the US study, children were also more independent after the operation, said Professor David. "Some children who had grown up after fetal surgery were walking and you would not expect them to walk if they did not," she said.

During the procedure, an incision is made in the uterus at a specific location to access the baby's spine and the stitch was filled with spina bifida. The surgery, which lasts about 90 minutes, carries a risk of premature delivery, but less invasive keyhole methods are under study. "We gave the mother drugs that help to soften them, but the risk still exists," said Professor David.

She added that a "fetoscopic" approach is being developed in the hope of further minimizing maternal complications. – PA