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Health: the 10 advances that marked 2014
The scientific advances made in 2014 are in the spotlight of this Health retrospective. Here are the 12 information you should not miss in the field of pregnancy and baby.
France: first in utero surgery for a baby with spina bifida
This is a first in France. A baby with “spina bifida” was operated on in his mother’s womb at 5 months of pregnancy by the fetal surgery team at the Armand Trousseau Hospital in Paris. The child was born by cesarean section at 8 months of pregnancy, he is doing well. Spina bifida is an abnormal opening of several vertebrae in the baby’s back. It is the most common malformation of the central nervous system, affecting on average 1 in 1000 pregnancies. Although it is not fatal, it can cause severe disabilities in the legs and brain. Until now, children suffering from this defect have been operated on at birth. But studies have shown that in utero surgery gives better results, especially in terms of children’s intellectual development. This fetal intervention, however, increases the risk of premature labor.
The first baby born after a uterus transplant
It’s an incredible feat that a Swedish team has just achieved. Vincent is the first child born after his mother received a uterus transplant. The 36-year-old was born without this organ but with functioning ovaries capable of producing eggs. The uterus came from a 61-year-old postmenopausal woman close to the mother’s family. The baby was born by cesarean section after 31 weeks of pregnancy, the delivery having been initiated due to pre-eclampsia. This birth represents a huge hope for all women with uterine infertility. The team that carried out the intervention in Sweden also performed 9 uterus transplants in women who did not have one. In France, two teams are also trying to meet the challenge.
3D printing to the rescue of sick children
Living organs reproduced in three dimensions to decide what is the best way to operate, we are not in fiction but in reality. 3D printing is revolutionizing the medical world but, like any major innovation, gives rise to its share of ethical questions. Earlier this year, a 14-month-old baby, born with four birth defects of the heart, was saved thanks to the reproduction of his heart in three dimensions. “As soon as I got the model, I knew exactly what to do and how,” explained the surgeon. In September, little Gabriel, a five-month-old baby, was saved from an extremely serious epileptic seizure thanks to a complex procedure in which a 3D printer played a key role. The Boston Children’s Hospital team made the replica of his brain, using a 3D printer, before performing a hemispheroctomy. Finally, a world first in the field of medically assisted procreation with the reproduction by 3D printing of a human embryo conceived in vitro. The goal? Observe the embryo more easily and thus identify the one that is most likely to implant in the uterus.
A student invents a low-cost incubator
New progress in the management of prematurity. An English student received the James Dyson Prize for inventing a low-cost incubator, it costs only 320 euros, including transport. This innovation should save the thousands of babies who are born too early in difficult areas.
Childbirth: the invention of revolutionary forceps
To scare pregnant women, one word is enough: forceps. An Argentinian mechanic has developed an innovative device that could eventually replace this instrument. The principle: an inflatable and lubricated plastic bag is placed around the baby’s head using a handle. Once inflated, this bag exerts pressure on the skull and allows it to be extracted more easily.
And also…
Pertussis vaccine, from birth
Newborns will soon be able to benefit from a nasal vaccine against whooping cough, whereas currently it is necessary to wait until the age of 2 months. Whooping cough is a highly contagious infectious respiratory disease caused by bacteria. Mainly transmitted by adults and young children, it is very dangerous in infants. 300 babies die of it every year around the world.
Gastro: soon the generalization of the vaccine
the Technical Committee on Vaccinations (CTV) should give the green light to the generalization of the vaccine against rotavirus gastroenteritis. This vaccine, which costs 150 euros, is currently not reimbursed by Social Security. This high price discourages most parents from having their children vaccinated.
Trisomy 21: the effectiveness of the blood test confirmed
The new screening test for trisomy 21, carried out from a simple maternal blood test, is very effective. Its sensitivity is greater than 99%. It also makes it possible to avoid 95% of invasive procedures (amniocentesis, trophoblast biopsy), which involve a risk for the fetus. Currently, this test is offered to women at risk: expectant mothers over 35 years of age and those in whom serum markers show a high risk of Down’s syndrome in the unborn child. The next step will be to extend this test to the entire population
Soon a test to detect pre-eclampsia
A team of researchers has developed a blood test capable of detecting preeclampsia. This serious disease, which affects about 8% of pregnancies, manifests itself in high blood pressure that can endanger the life of the child and its mother. Thanks to this new screening, based on a blood test, it will be possible to target future mothers at risk earlier.
A test to detect cervical cancer
The Roche group has developed a test to detect cervical cancer. Called “CINtec Plus”, it identifies high grade precancerous lesions. This test, soon to be marketed in Europe, would allow early treatment of this cancer, which kills 1000 women in France every year.