Baby "born twice" after miracle surgery outside the womb

Lynlee Boemer meeting one of the surgeons who saved her life. Credit: Paul Vincent Kuntz/Texas Children's Hospital

A baby was "born twice" after being taken out of her mother's womb for 20 minutes to perform surgery on her spine.

The mother of baby LynLee Boemer had been advised by several doctors to have an abortion after a tumour nearly as big as her body was found on the baby's spine, but surgeons at Texas Children's Fetal Center in Lewsville decided to attempt to remove the tumour outside the womb.

After a surgery during which her heart nearly stopped, baby LynLee was placed back in the womb and was born again three months later.

Mrs Boemer told CNN: "Lynlee didn't have much of a chance. At 23 weeks, the tumour was shutting her heart down and causing her to go into cardiac failure, so it was a choice of allowing the tumour to take over her body or giving her a chance at life.

"It was an easy decision for us. We wanted to give her life."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-37750038

Maternal blood test may predict birth complications

A study at Queen Mary University of London has found that a protein in the blood of pregnant women could be used to develop tests about the health of their babies, and even allow life-saving early deliveries.

The Daily Mail is reporting that a test could save the lives of babies at risk of stillbirth.

Lead researcher Dr Marika Charalambous said: "Measuring DLK1 levels in the mother's blood could be a reliable and non-invasive way of predicting whether there are likely to be complications, especially those that cause reduced nutrient supply to the baby. In those instances, you really need to get the baby out quickly, so women could opt to have an early elective delivery."

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