UK baby who received pioneering keyhole surgery while in the womb takes his first steps

The first baby in the UK to have keyhole surgery while inside the womb has taken his first steps - proving the ground-breaking op was a success.Sherrie Sharp, 30, found out her unborn son had spina bifida at her 20 week scan and was told the baby could be left paralysed if he didn't have an operation.Doctors said pre-natal spinal surgery would give him the best chance of being able to walk when he was born, and brave Sherrie had the procedure at 27 weeks.Baby Jaxson was born six weeks later and while the operation went without a hitch, his family waited anxiously to see if he'd be able to walk.And sure enough, just two weeks after getting a mini zimmer frame, fighter Jaxson, now two, took his very first steps.Not content with just one or two, he sped off in pursuit of a bus - an adorable moment captured on video by his proud mum.Before the op, his spinal cord was bulging out of his back and his nerves were suffering damage, risking paralysis.Until recently, surgeons would have waited to perform such a delicate op until the tot was born, but new evidence suggested surgery before birth can be more successful.Single mum Sherrie, from Epsom, Surrey, said: "My heart just literally burst when he started walking independently."I cried."He's just incredible."I'd been moving the frame along to show him how and then he saw a bus, and he loves busses."He said 'oh look mum bus' and I said 'go get it then' and he was off."He just wants to be independent and out there, and in with all the other kids."You kind of prepare yourself to not expect him to do things like that, and you go through all these stages of grief watching other kids make those milestones, and then suddenly he does it and it's the most lovely shock."Sherrie has endometriosis and polycystic ovaries, and had been told she wouldn't be able to carry a baby to term,, so was happy to get to 20 weeks pregnant with Jaxson.She underwent surgery at King's College hospital in London, in February 2019.Surgeons made three small cuts in her stomach, where they inserted a thin camera, light and tools into her womb.They took the exposed spinal cord, freed it from surrounding tissue and pushed it back.A special patch was used to cover the spinal cord before closing up the muscles and skin to prevent fluid leaking.In-womb surgery had been done before, but it was the first time in the UK doctors had performed keyhole surgery to repair the spine of a baby with spina bifida.Specialists at King's College warned her baby could be born prematurely.The op took place at the same hospital Sherrie had received a blood transfusion, while in her mum's womb, after developing anaemia.Jaxson was born in April 2019, at 33 weeks, and was initially looked after in neonatal intensive care."It was all so overwhelming and I was terrified I would lose him", said Sherrie."Also I just wanted him not to be in pain or have bad quality of life."He learned to crawl in November 2020, before getting a wheelie frame in April this year.He took his first steps - chasing after a bus - on April 26.Jaxson, who also loves to climb, wears special boots to help keep his feet in the right position.When he wants a little reassurance, he holds the frame and one of mum's fingers in the same tiny hand.Doctors aren't sure how much movement or sensation he has in his feet.Jaxson's severe form of spina bifida means the nerves can pop out of a split anywhere along the spine during early foetal development."Cognitively he's right on track - he's so bright and clever and forward and confident," said Sherrie."He's also very cheeky."I just think that to go through so much before he's even born he's had to do so much more than the average child of his age, and it's not been easy for him, but he's taken it all in his stride and he's so resilient and strong."He just makes me prouder by the day and I really look up to him."

The first baby in the UK to have keyhole surgery while inside the womb has taken his first steps - proving the ground-breaking op was a success.Sherrie Sharp, 30, found out her unborn son had spina bifida at her 20 week scan and was told the baby could be left paralysed if he didn't have an operation.Doctors said pre-natal spinal surgery would give him the best chance of being able to walk when he was born, and brave Sherrie had the procedure at 27 weeks.Baby Jaxson was born six weeks later and while the operation went without a hitch, his family waited anxiously to see if he'd be able to walk.And sure enough, just two weeks after getting a mini zimmer frame, fighter Jaxson, now two, took his very first steps.Not content with just one or two, he sped off in pursuit of a bus - an adorable moment captured on video by his proud mum.Before the op, his spinal cord was bulging out of his back and his nerves were suffering damage, risking paralysis.Until recently, surgeons would have waited to perform such a delicate op until the tot was born, but new evidence suggested surgery before birth can be more successful.Single mum Sherrie, from Epsom, Surrey, said: "My heart just literally burst when he started walking independently."I cried."He's just incredible."I'd been moving the frame along to show him how and then he saw a bus, and he loves busses."He said 'oh look mum bus' and I said 'go get it then' and he was off."He just wants to be independent and out there, and in with all the other kids."You kind of prepare yourself to not expect him to do things like that, and you go through all these stages of grief watching other kids make those milestones, and then suddenly he does it and it's the most lovely shock."Sherrie has endometriosis and polycystic ovaries, and had been told she wouldn't be able to carry a baby to term,, so was happy to get to 20 weeks pregnant with Jaxson.She underwent surgery at King's College hospital in London, in February 2019.Surgeons made three small cuts in her stomach, where they inserted a thin camera, light and tools into her womb.They took the exposed spinal cord, freed it from surrounding tissue and pushed it back.A special patch was used to cover the spinal cord before closing up the muscles and skin to prevent fluid leaking.In-womb surgery had been done before, but it was the first time in the UK doctors had performed keyhole surgery to repair the spine of a baby with spina bifida.Specialists at King's College warned her baby could be born prematurely.The op took place at the same hospital Sherrie had received a blood transfusion, while in her mum's womb, after developing anaemia.Jaxson was born in April 2019, at 33 weeks, and was initially looked after in neonatal intensive care."It was all so overwhelming and I was terrified I would lose him", said Sherrie."Also I just wanted him not to be in pain or have bad quality of life."He learned to crawl in November 2020, before getting a wheelie frame in April this year.He took his first steps - chasing after a bus - on April 26.Jaxson, who also loves to climb, wears special boots to help keep his feet in the right position.When he wants a little reassurance, he holds the frame and one of mum's fingers in the same tiny hand.Doctors aren't sure how much movement or sensation he has in his feet.Jaxson's severe form of spina bifida means the nerves can pop out of a split anywhere along the spine during early foetal development."Cognitively he's right on track - he's so bright and clever and forward and confident," said Sherrie."He's also very cheeky."I just think that to go through so much before he's even born he's had to do so much more than the average child of his age, and it's not been easy for him, but he's taken it all in his stride and he's so resilient and strong."He just makes me prouder by the day and I really look up to him."