Woman has pioneering surgery for unborn baby with intestines outside its body

Maisie, 29, and Theo’s father, Josh French, 36, both teachers, say they are incredibly relieved by the success of the pioneering surgery.

“He’s a little miracle, isn’t he?” Maisie told BBC News.

But they both know things could have been very different.

The serious birth defect affects one in 3,000 UK babies each year. In the best-case scenarios, babies can require weeks in intensive care and nutritional feeding through a tube or IV and corrective surgery.

For the most complex cases, like Theo’s, outcomes are far more serious with up to six months in neonatal intensive care, multiple surgeries, IV nutritional feeding for up to two years, and a possible intestinal transplant.

Even with the highest level of medical care, one in 10 babies will die.