The officials have announced that Spinal surgery for unborn babies with the birth defect spinal bifida is to be made routinely available on the NHS in England.
The spinal surgery involves repairing the spinal tissue of the baby while it is still in the womb.
Spinal surgery improve their ability to walk and minimize health problems that result from spinal bifida.
The spinal surgery procedure is among several treatments being made available on the NHS for the first time from April.
- Two unborn babies’ spines repaired in womb
- Spina bifida: ‘Giving babies a chance’
In UK more than 200 babies are born in each year with spina bifida, where the spine and spinal cord do not develop properly during pregnancy, causing a gap in the spine.
It gains problems that include paralysis of the legs, incontinence and sometimes learning difficulties.
The condition is usually treated after birth, but the earlier it is repaired the better for long-term health and mobility.
Spinal surgery in the womb was carried out for the first time earlier this year on two unborn babies at University College Hospital in London.
Before the introducing spinal surgery, patients had to travel abroad for the procedure.
It is not known what causes spina bifida but a lack of folic acid can increase the risk.
Chief executive of charity Shine, Kate Steele said that “Although open pre-natal surgery is not a cure for spina bifida, and is not suitable for every pregnancy, any medical advances which will potentially improve the health and social outcomes for a baby born with spina bifida is very good news, and Shine welcomes this progress.”
‘Life-changing treatment’
Among the others this treatment will be routinely offered on the NHS is the drug everolimus for epileptic seizures caused by a genetic condition that results in benign tumors developing in the body and brain, known as tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC).
More than 300 people, among them mostly children, will benefit from this new treatment that reduces the number and severity of seizures.
Chief executive of the Tuberous Sclerosis Association, Louise Fish said that “We’re delighted that NHS England has decided to fund this life-changing and potential life-saving treatment from April 2019 onwards.
“We’ll be working with TSC clinics across England to help them get ready to prescribe this drug to more people who can benefit from it.”
The other treatments that will be funded from 1 April 2019 are:
- Small bowel transplantation service (adults) and small bowel transplantation (children)
- Selexipag for pulmonary hypertension
- Trientine dihydrochloride for Wilson’s Disease
- Selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT) for chemotherapy refractory / intolerant metastatic colorectal cancer
- Metreleptin for congenital leptin deficiency
- Gemcitabine and capecitabine as adjuvant treatment for resected pancreatic cancer
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