Baby With Tumor 'Born' Twice

[Family Ties Forever!]

Good luck to the baby and family.

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Baby With Tumor 'Born' Twice 3 Months Early, Fetus Taken From Womb, Returned

Posted: 10:19 am CDT June 6, 2008

A one-month old girl in Texas will count May 3, 2008, as her birthday. But it wasn't the first time she left her mother's womb.

A large tumor was discovered on Macie Hope McCartney about six months into her development, "The Today Show" reported.

It was found when her parents, Chad and Keri McCartney, and her four older siblings had gone for a routine ultrasound to determine the sex of the baby.

Instead, the technician found a mass as large as the baby.

Dr. Darrell Cass, who led the surgery to save Macie, said the tumor, which extended from her tailbone, was stealing the blood that she needed to live.

The type of surgery he performed has only been done about 20 times. During the operation, Keri was put into anesthesia much deeper than usual, Cass said, so her uterus would relax. Surgeons then exposed the uterus, cut where they would not damage the placenta, pulled most of the baby out and removed the tumor. They then had to ensure Keri's womb would hold amniotic fluid to keep the baby alive.

Ten weeks later, Macie was born. After a month in the hospital, mom and daughter were expected to return home Saturday.

"We are doing great," Keri McCartney said on the morning show. "I am so excited to think that we're leaving tomorrow."

Distributed by Internet Broadcasting.

[sara]

I know that doctors have operated on babies with spina bifida while still in the womb. All these medical advancements are just amazing.