ABU DHABI: A baby with spina bifida has been delivered in Abu Dhabi after undergoing spinal correction surgery while still in the womb.
A team of doctors successfully performed spinal correction surgery on an unborn child of a Colombian couple earlier in June.
Baby Maryam was delivered in August by a team of doctors at Burjeel Medical Center.
Spina bifida is a birth defect that occurs when bones forming the spine do not develop leading to the spinal cord being left exposed to the amniotic fluid resulting in a permanent disability.
The procedure was led by Dr. Mandeep Singh, consultant in maternal and fetal medicine at Burjeel Medical City.
Singh said “if this procedure had not been carried out then the baby’s life would have been drastically different. She would have most likely needed a shunt in her brain - which is a tube that is inserted to drain excess fluid that builds up around the brain. The baby could have also had complete loss of bladder control and even no functionality in the legs.”
Although this condition is not a new phenomenon, for the first time in the region, a procedure to correct the spine was performed prior to birth.
“The whole procedure was difficult. The main thing we had to ensure was that the woman did not go into labor. If she had gone into labor then the procedure would have failed. Thankfully, she did not go into labor and the procedure went smoothly,” added Singh.
If left untreated, spina bifida can have life altering impacts on a child's life.
The medical team is optimistic about her future.
Her bladder is functioning and her legs have normal tone and movements.
“Thankfully, baby Maryam does not need a shunt and as per our monitoring there is movement in her legs. Although it is too early to tell how much strength her muscles will have, she will remain under intense monitoring until she is 3 years old and will likely undergo physiotherapy,” he added.
Mother Valentina Rodriguez and father Jason Gutierrez have left back to their home in Colombia along with their newborn daughter.
“This case was handed over to a medical team in Colombia who will monitor Maryam. However, our team will remain in close contact with them until she is around 12-15-years-old,” he explained.
The couple was overjoyed with the arrival of their daughter and thanked the medical team for their support during this period.
“Our princess Maryam is the best present that we could have ever gotten. God has blessed us with the perfect gift. We are extremely grateful to the UAE, Burjeel Holdings and the team for taking care of us and helping us during this difficult time.
“We fully understand that Maryam will need medical attention for the next few years, but we will do whatever we can to support her. We are very thankful to everyone for blessing our daughter,” said Valentina.
The couple previously told Arab News they were shocked when they found out their baby was diagnosed with spina bifida.
“As time went by and no real solution came about, by miracle we heard about a center in Abu Dhabi which was able to perform the surgery immediately and at no cost to us,” the mother told Arab News.
Dr Mandeep assured any other parents who are in similar positions to know there are solutions for this condition.
“You don't have to wait for the baby to be born to undergo any procedures. Medicine has developed significantly and at our center we are able to provide you with the support you need to help treat this condition” said Singh.
