Specialists at Indiana’s Riley Hospital for Children have successfully completed an in-utero repair of spina bifida, marking the first time such a surgery has been accomplished in the state.
Key Takeaways:
- Riley Hospital for Children successfully performed an in-utero surgery to repair a severe form of spina bifida in a preborn child.
- The baby is expected to have improved outcomes due to the surgery.
- Many parents are pressured to abort their children after receiving a spina bifida diagnosis.
The Details:
According to a news release from the hospital, the fetal surgery was done to repair myelomeningocele, a severe form of spina bifida in which the spinal canal and backbone do not close properly before birth. The condition can lead to “lifelong complications including hydrocephalus, severe leg weakness, bowel and bladder dysfunction, and learning difficulties.”
In order to correct the condition, the medical team used a “fetoscopic approach utilizing a small maternal skin incision, which reduces risks to both mother and baby compared to traditional open fetal surgery and other fetoscopic approaches.”
According to the Mayo Clinic, in this highly specialized surgery, surgeons make a small incision in the uterus in order to reach the preborn baby and make the repair, closing the area called the neural placode. Making the repair while the child is in-utero is often more successful than attempting the same surgery after he is born.
READ: Pressured to abort one baby with spina bifida and one with Trisomy 18, they trusted God instead
The preborn baby’s gestational age was not reported, but officials say that the repair to the spinal canal was successful. He will be closely monitored going forward but is expected to have improved motor outcomes.
“Fetal myelomeningocele repair is one of the most complex procedures in fetal surgery,” said Dr. Jason Chu, a pediatric neurosurgeon at Riley. “To see a successful outcome and following these babies as they grow up is incredibly rewarding.”
Why It Matters:
Many parents whose children receive a prenatal diagnosis of spina bifida are then pressured to choose abortion for that child.
Live Action News has covered countless stories of women who were offered abortion as an option due to a spina bifida diagnosis. Many of the families in those stories chose life, but that isn’t always the case.
There is no way to pinpoint an accurate number of babies aborted due to the condition, but one study found that 63% of its participants chose abortion after a spina bifida diagnosis.
The Bottom Line:
While a child should never be aborted due to a diagnosis, there is hope that news of successful surgeries like the one performed at Riley will offer encouragement to parents and lead to fewer medical professionals pressuring families toward abortion after a spina bifida diagnosis.
As Dr. Mara Nitu, chief medical officer of Riley Children’s Health noted, “This is more than a medical milestone — it’s hope in action.”
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