World-first spina bifida surgery gives unborn babies a chance to walk

Baby Robbie, pictured with mother Emily, was the first human to receive the revolutionary treatment. Photo: UC Davis

A baby girl, Robbie, is the first human to receive experimental surgery involving the placement of a stem cell patch that repairs and restores damaged tissue to the spine.

The pioneering spina bifida surgery, involving a team of 40 from the University of California Davis, occurred when Robbie was still developing in her mother’s womb.