In the study, the prenatal procedure was typically done at 24 weeks gestation. Surgeons make an incision in the abdomen and take out the uterus to get access to the fetus's lower spine. They apply a patch and put the fetus and uterus back in the mother. The baby is delivered, ideally at close to full term, by Caesarean section.
At 12 months old, 40% of babies who had the surgery in the womb needed a shunt to drain fluid from the brain, compared with 83% in the post-natal group. That was the most significant benefit, researchers said. Revising or changing shunts can subject spina bifida patients to a childhood of surgeries. "If you can avoid a shunt, that in itself is a wonderful thing," said Scott Adzick, surgeon-in-chief at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and lead author of the study.
At 30 months, 42% of babies in the prenatal group and 21% in the post-natal group were able to walk without crutches or other devices, researchers said.Via Wall Street Journal: Study Backs Prenatal Fix
I am still amazed everyday how medicine makes head way to cure or treat diseases. Truly amazing that to take the fetus out to perform the procedures and put the fetus back in the womb. Those cutting-edges physicians, surgeons, researchers, and other healthcare professionals are truly the heroes!
While this is fantastic, and amazing. Inadequate intake of Folic acid has a direct link, and I recommend further research into what levels of folic acid help prevent this. Folate levels are easily testable. We could could then treat to the appropriate levels, instead of the one size fits all approach that we take now.
ReplyDeleteIf a woman was on birth control pills(depletes folic acid) in the prior 6 months and have not been on folic acid, their risk of having a child with spina bifida is increased, and should probably on higher doses, and possibly IV doses to decrease their risk, however Folate levels are not part of routine prenatal care, nor is this talked about in many medical circles.