Brain surgery baby is world's youngest

Published on Sunday 28 December 2008 23:31

A BRITISH baby girl is thought to be the world's youngest patient to undergo a surgical procedure for treating brain tumours.

Madison Quartarone was just one week old when she was taken to Great Ormond Street Hospital, in London, with a large benign tumour.

The infant, now eight weeks, then underwent three embilisation procedures – a treatment in which arteries are injected with glue to cut off blood supply – to starve the growth of blood.

Scans after the operations showed that the tumour had shrunk, and doctors allowed the baby home to Bedford with her mother, Charlene Smith, in time for Christmas.

Madison's grandfather, Ian Chandler, said: "What we are hoping for is that the tumour continues to shrink. I think we would know by now if the tumour was still growing."

The baby's head swelled while the tumour was getting bigger because of the collection of fluid.

Mr Chandler added: "Madison has amazed absolutely everybody. She underwent seven operations in the first seven weeks of her life, but now she is putting weight on and suffering all the problems that other babies have, like trapped wind and colic."

She will return to the hospital in the new year for more scans to check on the tumour.