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SPINA BIFIDA CURED IN WOMBDr. Scott Adzick was a part of a team that conducted experiments in sheep with spina bifida like defects. They found those that underwent operations early in gestation were more likely to be born with near-normal nerve function compared with those that had later surgical repair.Spina bifida is caused by a gap in the spine causing the nerves of the spinal cord to bulge as a red lump on the surface of the back. Affected children can have paralized legs and incontinence as well as impaired intelligence. After Melissa Kipfmiller's fetus was diagnosed with spina bifida at 16 weeks, instead of opting for abortion, she agreed for Dr. Adzick to perform the operation on her baby while still in the uterus. The complex surgery performed in the Philadelphia Children's Hospital involved C-section, during which, the spina bifida was repaired. Following surgery, the pregnancy progressed to 36 weeks, and the baby was delivered. He is now 2 months old and although it is still too early to predict, he can kick his legs. Joseph Bruner, director of fetal diagnosis and therapy at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennesee, has attempted similar surgery on six older fetuses with encouraging results. London Times, summary of correspondence from Lois Rogers, June, 1998 --> return to menu / back ... (click) --> return to top of the page (click) |
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