Updated February 13, 2017 22:21:58 Discontinuing two pregnancies due to diagnoses of spina bifida left Sydney couple Claudine and Dave Fitzgibbon in a dark place. So when Claudine received a third diagnosis with her next pregnancy in 2016, she and her husband were devastated. But this time their doctor held out a sliver of hope. A team of surgeons at Brisbane’s Mater Hospital had just performed pioneering in-utero surgery on a baby with spina bifida and they were looking for more patients. It was not a cure for spina bifida, but it gave the Fitzgibbons confidence they were doing everything they could for a baby they were determined to keep no matter what. Groundbreaking surgery Spina bifida is a congenital defect where the developing baby’s spine fails to form normally. It occurs in about one in 2,000 pregnancies and can lead to problems with mobility, brain function and continence. Until now, the options for women carrying a baby with spina bifida were to proceed with the pregnancy and deal with the disabilities associated with the condition or to terminate. About 80 per cent of women choose the latter option, according to Claudine and Dave’s obstetrician Dr Antonia Shand. It is a devastating decision that must be made quickly, as the condition is often not diagnosed until the 20-week scan. The option of in-utero surgery to repair the spinal defect has been available in the US since 1997, but it was only after a 2011 study confirmed its benefits that Australian…more detail
