Innovative Surgery Performed Inside Womb to Treat ‘Miraculous’ Baby

Doctors have successfully corrected a congenital defect in a fetus using advanced surgical techniques. At 26 weeks pregnant, Meagee Savidge from London underwent womb surgery performed by a team of physicians in the United States. The baby, Theo, who is now five months old and thriving, was diagnosed before birth with gastroschisis, a condition where the intestines develop outside the abdomen.

During the procedure, the medical team partially exteriorized Theo’s mother’s uterus, made a small incision, and carefully repositioned the intestines and other organs back inside the abdomen using surgical technology. Theo is the third baby in the world to benefit from this groundbreaking medical trial. Meagee, 29, and her husband Josh French, 36, are both teachers. They described their child as “a little miracle, isn’t he?”

This type of congenital defect occurs in approximately one in every 3,000 births annually in the UK. A 2025 global review studied countries with high to middle incomes. In optimal cases, babies affected by this condition require intensive treatment and nutritional support for weeks. Unfortunately, there is a risk of death in about one out of every ten newborns with this condition.

The parents were initially unaware of the problem with their unborn child. Josh said, “We didn’t know at the time.” At 24 weeks of pregnancy, doctors informed Meagee and Josh about the necessary treatments for Theo after birth. The pioneering medical trial to treat complex gastroschisis before delivery was conducted at Texas Children’s Hospital in the US. After undergoing surgery, Meagee continued to carry the baby in the womb for an additional 14 weeks. The surgery was successful, and she gave birth to Theo via vaginal delivery in February in Texas.

Dr. Belfort remarked, “The mother, the baby, the surgery — everything was remarkable.” Meagee shared, “Theo is in excellent condition.” Josh added, “We both feel incredibly fortunate.”