Surgeons have operated on unborn babies for the first time ever in Britain.

Weeks before they even took their first breaths, two babies had their spinal cords delicately repaired while still in the womb.

The spina bifida surgeries were successfully performed by a team at London's University College Hospital this summer, it emerged yesterday.

Spina bifida is usually treated after birth but research shows repairing the baby's spine earlier can stop the loss of spinal fluid and lead to better long-term health and mobility outcomes.

A 30-strong team carried out the two operations, co-ordinated by UCL's Professor Anne David, who has been working for three years to bring the procedure to patients in the UK.

Until now, mothers in Britain have had to travel to the US, Belgium or Switzerland for the procedure.

"It's fantastic. Women now don't have to travel out of the UK," Prof David said. "They can have their family with them. There are less expenses. So all good things."

The surgery team from UCLH and the Great Ormond Street Hospital previously travelled to Belgium to train at a facility in Leuven, where more than 40 such operations have been carried out.

Spina bifida is a condition that develops during pregnancy when the bones of the spine do not form properly, creating a gap that leaves the spinal cord unprotected.