A Delhi hospital has successfully treated two children from Papua New Guinea suffering from complex spinal birth defects, enabling one of them to lie on her back for the first time after surgery, according to a statement.
According to Max Smart Super Speciality Hospital, Saket, the children, aged five and seven years, were born with complex neural tube defects (NTDs), congenital abnormalities affecting the development of the brain and spinal cord. Both had paralysis of the lower limbs and loss of bladder control since birth.
The five-year-old girl had a 10-cm-long and 12-cm-wide swelling on her lower back, which prevented her from lying on her back and forced her to sleep on her side. She also had scoliosis and complete loss of sensation in her lower limbs.
Her seven-year-old cousin had a spinal swelling, severe curvature of the spine, clubfoot affecting both feet, a left-sided inguinal hernia and loss of bladder control. He had earlier undergone corrective surgery in another country, after which he lost movement in both legs, and had also undergone a ventriculoperitoneal shunt procedure in 2018.
The families travelled to India after being unable to access specialised surgical treatment in Papua New Guinea and approached the hospital for advanced neurosurgical care.
The children were evaluated by a neurosurgery team led by Dr Daljit Singh, Vice Chairman and Head of Neurosurgery, and Dr Simranjeet Singh, Consultant, Neurosurgery. Doctors performed surgeries on both children on the same day.
The older child underwent microscopic excision and repair of the defect followed by flap rotation surgery to reconstruct the large skin defect, while the younger one underwent excision and repair of the spinal lesion.
"These cases highlight the complexity and varied presentation of Neural Tube Defects. Although both children had similar symptoms of paralysis and bladder dysfunction, the embryological basis of their conditions was entirely different," Daljit Singh said.
"Successful management requires meticulous surgical planning, advanced microsurgical techniques and comprehensive post-operative rehabilitation. Early diagnosis and timely intervention can significantly improve the quality of life for such patients," he added.
The hospital said both children underwent intensive post-operative care and physiotherapy. The younger child recovered well and was able to comfortably lie on her back for the first time in her life, while the older child required additional wound care before making a satisfactory recovery.
The seven-year-old was discharged 10 days after surgery, while the younger child was discharged on the eighth day, it said.
Emphasising prevention, Singh said neural tube defects are among the most common congenital anomalies and are often preventable through adequate folic acid supplementation before conception and during early pregnancy.
"In these cases, both mothers had not received folic acid supplementation and the defects were not detected during routine prenatal ultrasound examinations. Strengthening awareness, antenatal counselling and early screening can play a critical role in reducing the burden of these congenital disorders," he said.
