'Youngest' baby has brain glue op

A UK baby has become one of the youngest in the world to undergo an operation using glue to reduce the size of a brain tumour.

Madison Quartarone was just a week old when the procedure was carried out at London's Great Ormond Street Hospital.

She was found to have a large, benign tumour, and glue was used to block the blood vessels supplying it, effectively starving it of nutrients.

The baby, from Bedford, is now said to be "doing well".

"Madison is not out of the woods yet but she does look remarkably well"
Dominic Thompson
Great Ormond Street Hospital

Neurosurgeon Dominic Thompson, who carried out the procedure, said he was not aware of any younger babies receiving it.

"If successful, it could be groundbreaking," he told the Bedfordshire on Sunday newspaper.

"Madison is not out of the woods yet but she does look remarkably well."

Madison, who is now eight weeks old, was born with an obviously swollen head, which meant that the tumour could be spotted quickly.

Mr Thompson said that it was "very unusual" for tumours to present themselves so early in life.

During the procedure, a tube was guided into the blood vessels connected to the tumour, and the glue passed through it to seal them.

Scans have suggested that the treatment was having an impact, starving the tumour of nutrients and oxygen, and causing it to shrink.

Madison's grandfather Ian Chandler told the paper that she was now putting weight on, and the family was hopeful that the tumour would continue to reduce in size.

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