Surgeons in Abu Dhabi have performed spinal surgery on an unborn baby, it was announced on Tuesday.
During a scan, the 24-week unborn baby was diagnosed with spina bifida, a birth defect where the spine and spinal cord do not develop properly in the womb.
The parents – who are from Colombia – were told by doctors their only option was to terminate the pregnancy.
However, a team at Burjeel Medical City's Kypros Nicolaides Fetal Medicine and Therapy Centre in Abu Dhabi performed the procedure six months into the pregnancy, in the hope it would improve the baby's life.
The crucial operation took place this month.
Thank you for giving us hope, our baby is fine now
Liz Valentina Parra Rodriguez
Known as in-utero foetal surgery, the procedure involves making a small incision in the uterus so the back of the baby is exposed to allow the neurosurgeon to repair the spina bifida defect.
It is performed at between 19 and 25 weeks of gestation.
"We use a synthetic patch to cover the defect. The amniotic fluid is then instilled back into the cavity and the uterus is closed back up," said Dr Mandeep Singh, consultant in maternal and foetal medicine at Burjeel Medical City, in a press release.
"The baby will remain in the womb for the remainder of the pregnancy and will be delivered by Caesarean section at 37 weeks' gestation."
Believing in miracles
Parents Liz Valentina Parra Rodriguez and Jason Mateo Moreno Gutierrez said the spina bifida diagnosis had been difficult to deal with.
"We were shocked after our routine 20-week scan showed that our baby's spinal cord was not forming correctly," Ms Rodriguez told The National.
"The options of ending pregnancy were also discussed with us but we believe in miracles and that life is a gift from God."
She said her Colombian doctor suggested at the time that the best course of action was to undergo spina bifida repair before the baby was born.
It meant the couple had to travel from Colombia to Abu Dhabi to undergo surgery.
"I was afraid on the day of the surgery," she said. "After the surgery, I woke up and the doctors were there with me. They took care of me during the procedure and they cared for my baby, frequently monitoring her vitals and mine."
The couple praised Dr Singh and the staff at Burjeel Medical City for their groundbreaking work.
"Thank you for allowing us to experience this and giving us a new opportunity for our baby," she said. "Thank you for giving us hope, my baby is fine now."
After care
Dr Singh, says spinal surgery is not a cure but it could make a big different to a child's life after birth.
However, if left untreated – and depending on the severity of the condition – a baby born with spina bifida is at risk of developing complications such as orthopaedic problems or issues with bowel and bladder control.
Despite its risks, early intervention through foetal surgery is said to improve outcomes.
"In-utero repair of spina bifida reduces motor function loss of limbs and improves outcomes," Dr Singh told The National.
"After the delivery, the baby needs a follow up and in some cases may need to undergo physiotherapy and all other medical assessments to ensure their well-being.
Dr Singh confirmed the mother was stable and expected to deliver her baby at Burjeel Medical City in August.
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Pakhtoons Owners: Habib Khan and Tajuddin Khan; Key player: Shahid Afridi
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Bangla Tigers Owners: Shirajuddin Alam, Yasin Choudhary, Neelesh Bhatnager, Anis and Rizwan Sajan; Key player: TBC
Colombo Lions Owners: Sri Lanka Cricket; Key player: TBC
Kerala Kings Owners: Hussain Adam Ali and Shafi Ul Mulk; Key player: Eoin Morgan
Venue Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Format 10 overs per side, matches last for 90 minutes
When December 14-17
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Company profile
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US Open: 3 (2011, 15, 18)
Australian Open: 9 (2008, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21)
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ROGER FEDERER
20 grand slam singles titles
Wimbledon: 8 (2003, 04, 05, 06, 07, 09, 12, 17)
French Open: 1 (2009)
US Open: 5 (2004, 05, 06, 07, 08)
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RAFAEL NADAL
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Australian Open: 1 (2009)
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On Instagram: @WithHopeUAE
Although social media can be harmful to our mental health, paradoxically, one of the antidotes comes with the many social-media accounts devoted to normalising mental-health struggles. With Hope UAE is one of them.
The group, which has about 3,600 followers, was started three years ago by five Emirati women to address the stigma surrounding the subject. Via Instagram, the group recently began featuring personal accounts by Emiratis. The posts are written under the hashtag #mymindmatters, along with a black-and-white photo of the subject holding the group’s signature red balloon.
“Depression is ugly,” says one of the users, Amani. “It paints everything around me and everything in me.”
Saaed, meanwhile, faces the daunting task of caring for four family members with psychological disorders. “I’ve had no support and no resources here to help me,” he says. “It has been, and still is, a one-man battle against the demons of fractured minds.”
In addition to With Hope UAE’s frank social-media presence, the group holds talks and workshops in Dubai. “Change takes time,” Reem Al Ali, vice chairman and a founding member of With Hope UAE, told The National earlier this year. “It won’t happen overnight, and it will take persistent and passionate people to bring about this change.”
