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Miracle Baby Born After In-Womb Surgery
3 Aug
Summary
- Surgery corrected a birth defect while the baby was still inside the womb.
- Baby Theo underwent pioneering keyhole surgery at 26 weeks pregnant.
- This groundbreaking procedure has the potential to save many babies' lives.
A revolutionary surgery has successfully corrected a serious birth defect in an unborn baby, marking a significant advancement in fetal medicine. Baby Theo, now a healthy five-month-old, underwent this pioneering procedure while his mother, Maisie Savage, was 26 weeks pregnant. The surgery took place at Texas Children's Hospital in Houston, a clinical trial led by Dr. Michael Belfort.
Theo was born with gastroschisis, a condition where the intestines grow outside the body due to improper abdominal development. The groundbreaking surgery involved partially exposing the mother's womb and using keyhole techniques to gently reposition Theo's organs internally. This procedure, third of its kind globally, follows earlier successful in-utero surgeries for spina bifida. A preparatory Botox injection in Belgium also aided the procedure.
Maisie Savage, 29, and her partner Josh French, 36, described Theo as a "little miracle." The condition affects approximately 1 in 3,000 UK babies annually, with severe cases potentially leading to prolonged intensive care and even death. The successful surgery offers hope for future treatments, with plans to implement similar procedures in the UK soon.
Dr. Belfort expressed optimism about the zero-complication outcome and views the uterus as a new frontier for surgical innovation, envisioning future in-utero surgeries for cardiac and lung conditions. Theo's parents are immensely grateful for the life-changing intervention that ensured their son's healthy development.
