[Comment] First steps of a potential new era in fetal intervention for spina bifida

Repair of open neural tube defects, including myelomeningocele, in the fetus has been shown to improve postnatal outcomes by decreasing the severity of hydrocephalus and, consequentially, reducing the need for cerebrospinal fluid diversion. This procedure also improves motor function, increasing the chances of independent ambulation by 30 months.1 On the basis of these important benefits, which were shown in 2011 by the Management of Myelomeningocele Study (MOMS) trial investigators,1 this surgery is now considered part of the standard of care and is offered in many centres worldwide.