Pioneering spina bifida treatment ‘very exciting’A new treatment has shown huge potential for treating spina bifida in the womb, after a trial showed that it improved children’s mobility and quality of life. Spina bifida, a condition in which a baby’s spinal cord is not properly enclosed during gestation, can lead to a range of lifelong disabilities. However, scientists claimed this week to have a promising new treatment, which involves applying stem cells from the mother’s placenta to her baby’s spine while surgeons repair it in the womb. Six mothers took part in the phase one trial, the results of which were published in the Lancet health journal this week. Shine, a UK-based spina bifida charity, described the results as “very exciting”.