Miracle Baby Walks After Fetal Stem Cell Surgery

A three-year-old boy is walking today thanks to revolutionary stem cell surgery performed before his birth. Tobi Maginnis was diagnosed with spina bifida, a severe spinal cord abnormality, via ultrasound at 20 weeks of pregnancy. This condition typically results in paralysis, but Tobi became one of the first babies to undergo fetal surgery using placental stem cells.

Surgeons at the University of California Davis Children's Hospital placed a patch of stem cells over the fetus's exposed spinal cord around 25 weeks gestation. This groundbreaking procedure allowed the tissue to regenerate, preventing expected paralysis. Tobi's parents shared their joy, noting he is now full of energy and can walk, run, and jump.

This world-first clinical trial, published in The Lancet, included six babies who were all born healthy. While clinicians express cautious optimism due to the novelty of the treatment, they are monitoring for any long-term effects. The research aims to improve upon existing in-utero surgeries for spina bifida, where about half of babies cannot walk independently.

A larger clinical trial involving 35 pregnant women is now underway to further assess the long-term efficacy of this stem cell technique. The hope is to significantly increase the number of children who can walk independently and achieve better outcomes in potty training.