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Glue-like injections saving lives of sick babies

Injections of a glue-like substance are saving the lives of babies suffering from a rare vascular condition.

Dafi Evans, of Talgarreg, Ceredigion, was born with Vein of Galen malformation, a rare condition that causes a rush of blood from the brain to the heart, overwhelming the heart and typically leading to congestive heart failure.

Yet Evans, now 16 months old, has been able to lead a relatively normal life thanks to a special treatment developed by France’s Dr. Pierre Lasjaunias in the 1980s.

The treatment, performed by Dr. Stefan Brew at the Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, involves the injection of a glue-like substance called Histoacryl through a catheter into the baby’s groin. The substance is ushered off to the affected area of the brain through the bloodstream, and the malformation gets blocked leading to more normal blood flow.

Dr. Brew describes the procedure as being “incredibly stressful”, but he knows that the pioneering procedure saves lives, making it well worth it.

While most go on to live healthy lives, the procedure proves ineffective for nearly 10 percent of children operated on.

“No matter how careful you are, there’s an element of chance to it,” said Dr. Brew. “What is known is that if you don’t treat them, they die.”

Dafi Evans has had the procedure five times and is scheduled for a sixth. It’s typical for children to require several procedures early in life as the body continues to quickly change and grow.

His mother, Catrin Evans, is tired but thankful for the work being done by Dr. Brew.

“It’s been a rollercoaster year but he’s well and doing everything that he should; developing as he should,” she said. “The work Dr. Brew’s done is totally amazing. It’s truly amazing.”

         

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