Spinal bifida trial opens door to foetal surgery
Spinal bifida babies who are operated on in
the womb are far less likely to have complications than babies operated on
after birth, according to a new study published in the New
England Journal of Medicine.
“This is a huge game-changer for fetal
surgery,” said Dr Diana Farmer, lead author of the study. “This study shows it can be done
pretty safely, and it will open the door for other patients and other diseases.
It really does validate the original hypothesis, 30 years ago, that you could
improve the outcomes for these children if you operated on them before
birth.”
The babies were operated on between 19 and
26 weeks into the pregnancies. ~ Washington
Post, Feb 9; San
Francisco Chronicle, Feb 19
Michael Cook
fetal surgery
spinal bifida
Michael Cook edits BioEdge, a bioethics newsletter, and MercatorNet, an on-line magazine whose focus is human dignity. He writes from Sydney, Australia.
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