Performing surgery on foetuses while still in the womb is a risky business. Although pioneering work in this field began in the 1980s, it remains very challenging, with only a few highly trained teams scattered around the world treating a handful of conditions. But new technology could transform the treatment of congenital problems in the womb. In spina bifida, for

Over the last few months we have run several stories about in utero surgery. To this day there remain some skeptics. Their numbers are diminishing, however, as there is much research that demonstrates (for example) how babies with spina bifida will benefit when surgeons correct their problem before they are born. One of the best examples was a study in