Baby born with intestines outside body recovers after surgery in the womb

Theo, the son of London-based Maisie Savage and Josh French, was operated on while still in the womb due to a severe birth defect. Now five months old, Theo is reported to be healthy and has returned to a normal life with his family.

Theo was diagnosed with gastroschisis, a condition where the intestines grow outside the abdomen due to the improper development of the belly button. The family described the news about the baby's health condition during their 20-week ultrasound as a major shock.

Following evaluations at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, doctors determined that Theo had a more severe condition known as complex gastroschisis. Consequently, the family was referred to a clinical trial conducted at Texas Children's Hospital in Houston, USA.

Maisie Savage underwent surgery in November 2025, during the 26th week of her pregnancy. Prior to the operation, Theo received a Botox injection at Leuven Hospital in Belgium to relax the muscles in his abdominal wall. The family then traveled to Texas.

HOW WAS THE SURGERY PERFORMED?

At Texas Children's Hospital, a fetal and pediatric surgery team led by Dr. Michael Belfort partially exposed Maisie's uterus. The amniotic fluid was drained, and the surgical field was expanded with carbon dioxide gas. Then, using a minimally invasive method, Theo's organs were gently placed back into the abdominal cavity, and the abdominal wall was closed with stitches.

The pregnancy continued after the operation. Theo was born via vaginal delivery in Texas in February. Speaking to the BBC, his mother, Maisie, described the experience by saying, "A little miracle, isn't it?"

Gastroschisis occurs in about one in every 3,000 babies in the UK each year. Even in milder cases, babies may need to stay in the neonatal intensive care unit for weeks, be fed intravenously or via a tube, and undergo surgery. In complex cases, the treatment process can extend to months of intensive care, multiple operations, and the need for long-term intravenous feeding.

Theo's surgery, as the third baby to benefit from the clinical trial, is considered a significant step by experts. Dr. Belfort described the absence of complications for the mother and baby during or after the surgery as "extraordinary."

Paolo de Coppi, a professor of pediatric surgery at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, said that if the studies are successful, this method could also be applied in the UK. De Coppi stated that they hope the procedure will be offered to a "wider audience in the near future."

His family says that today, Theo is growing up like a "completely normal baby." Josh French expressed that the medical teams in both London and Texas made a process that could have been traumatic for the family much more manageable.