How Doctors Repaired a Baby’s Birth Defect Before Birth

News Desk

Islamabad: A rare medical breakthrough has given hope to families facing complex pregnancy complications after doctors successfully corrected a serious birth defect in a baby while still inside the womb.

The procedure was carried out during the 26th week of pregnancy of 29-year-old Maisie Savage in the United States, where British and American medical experts used an experimental surgical technique to treat her unborn son Theo, who had been diagnosed with gastroschisis.

Gastroschisis is a condition in which the abdominal wall does not develop properly, causing the baby’s intestines to grow outside the body. In Theo’s case, specialists carefully repositioned the intestines back into the womb through a highly advanced fetal surgery procedure.

Theo became only the third baby in the world to receive treatment as part of the clinical trial. He was later born healthy and, now at five months old, is reported to be developing normally.

Medical experts said gastroschisis affects around one in every 3,000 babies in the UK each year. While many cases can be treated after birth, severe cases may require prolonged intensive care, multiple surgeries, artificial feeding support and, in some situations, intestinal transplantation.

Doctors noted that despite advances in treatment, some babies with complicated cases do not survive, highlighting the significance of new fetal surgery approaches.

Theo’s parents said they had no indication of any health issue until a routine 20-week pregnancy scan revealed the condition, which left them shocked and concerned. They described the successful surgery and their son’s recovery as an extraordinary medical achievement.