Baby's Belly Button Didn't Close Properly — His Intestines Floated Outside! Minimally Invasive Fetal Surgery a Success: London 'Gastroschisis' Baby Turns 5 Months Old

Doctors have successfully performed a breakthrough surgery to correct a congenital defect while the fetus was still inside the uterus.

Maisie Savage from London underwent the procedure at 26 weeks of pregnancy, carried out by American doctors. Theo, now five months old and developing healthily, was diagnosed with gastroschisis — a condition where the abdominal wall around the navel fails to close during development, resulting in the intestines protruding outside the body.

Doctors first partially exposed the mother’s uterus, then used minimally invasive endoscopic surgery to gently guide the organs back into the abdominal cavity and closed the opening. He is the third infant worldwide to benefit from this type of pioneering clinical trial.

Maisie, 29, and Josh French, 36, the baby’s father, are both teachers and expressed immense relief over the success of this groundbreaking procedure.

"He’s a little miracle, isn’t he?" Maisie told the BBC.

But both parents understand how differently things could have turned out.

In the UK, this severe congenital defect affects approximately one in every 3,000 newborns. Globally, the prevalence of gastroschisis varies significantly by region.

According to a 2025 global review encompassing studies from high- and middle-income countries, South America reports the highest number of cases. Data from low-income countries remain extremely limited.

Even under optimal conditions, affected infants may require several weeks in intensive care, receive nutrition via catheter or intravenous feeding, and undergo corrective surgery.

For the most complex cases like Theo’s, outcomes are far more severe — including up to six months in neonatal intensive care, multiple surgeries, two years of intravenous nutrition, and possibly even intestinal transplantation.

Even with the highest standard of medical care, one in ten infants dies.

Theo’s parents initially had no idea their unborn child had any issues.

"Before our 20-week scan, we were simply excited to see our baby… We didn’t even know he was a boy," said Josh.

Learning that Theo had gastroschisis was devastating and "very scary," he added.

At 24 weeks pregnant, specialists at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) in London began explaining to prospective parents Maisie and Josh what Theo might face in his first six months after birth.

However, after discovering he had an even more severe form — complex gastroschisis — they were referred to Texas Children's Hospital in Houston, USA.

There, a fetal and pediatric surgical team led by Dr. Michael Belfort has been leading a world-first clinical trial to repair complex gastroschisis before birth.

As the clinical lead of the trial, Dr. Belfort previously pioneered similar in utero surgeries for fetuses with spina bifida.

Maisie was informed she needed to travel immediately to Texas and remain there for the rest of her pregnancy.

"It was a big decision," she said.

As part of the trial, she first traveled to University Hospitals Leuven (UZ Leuven) in Belgium, where experts injected botulinum toxin (Botox) through the uterus into Theo’s abdominal wall to relax the muscles, making the repair procedure easier.

Then, the family flew to Texas and underwent surgery last November at 26 weeks of gestation.

Josh described the wait during Maisie’s surgery as extremely agonizing.

"That day felt like a week. Just waiting, not knowing what was happening at each stage," he said.

Surgeons first partially exposed Maisie’s uterus to adjust its position relative to the fetus, then drained amniotic fluid and replaced it with carbon dioxide (CO2) gas to expand the surgical field. Using minimally invasive keyhole surgery, they gently pushed Theo’s organs back into the abdominal cavity and sutured the opening shut.

Maisie was left with a scar twice the size of a typical C-section incision. However, unlike women recovering from other C-sections, she had to continue her pregnancy for another 14 weeks.

"Theo kicks a lot in my belly, hits my wound, and it hurts," she said.

"It was a tough recovery, but completely worth it," she added.

The surgery was fully successful. Theo reached full term and was delivered naturally in Texas in February.

Dr. Michael Belfort, Chair of Obstetrics at Texas Children's Hospital, expressed great satisfaction with the outcome.

"The mother, the baby, the surgery itself, the timing, and the fact that we had absolutely no complications during or after the fetal surgery — everything about this is extraordinary," he said.

If the trial proves successful, Professor Paolo de Coppi, Pediatric Surgery Professor at Great Ormond Street Hospital and Head of Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine at University College London, plans to introduce the procedure in the UK.

"We hope to be able to offer this treatment to patients on a larger scale very soon," he said.

Dr. Belfort is excited about the collaboration, saying that Texas Children's Hospital and Great Ormond Street form a powerful team.

He is already looking ahead.

"The inside of the uterus is now becoming a whole new space for surgical innovation. Spina bifida and gastroschisis are just two examples, but I believe we can actually perform certain heart surgeries in utero, and I also think some lung procedures are possible," he said.

Back home in London, Maisie says Theo is doing exceptionally well.

"Everything they’ve done has completely transformed what could have been a very difficult start to his life. And he’s amazing — he’s basically a completely normal baby," she said.

Josh said, "We both feel incredibly lucky. The impact they’ve had on our family is incredible. From the team at Great Ormond Street to Dr. Belfort and his team, we never felt unwelcome."

"The level of care they provided while we were there was astounding, making one of the most traumatic periods of our lives much easier. Now that we have this little guy, we couldn’t be happier," he added.