Two unborn babies have had their spines repaired by surgeons – weeks before they were born.
The operations – which are the first ever of their kind in the UK – were carried out by a team of 30 doctors at University College Hospital in London.
The babies had spina bifida, a condition when the spinal cord fails to develop properly and has a gap in it.
It is usually treated after birth, but the earlier it is repaired the better for long-term health and mobility.
During the 90-minute surgery carried out this summer, doctors cut an opening in the womb and then stitched together the baby’s gap in the spine. Read more