The first baby has been in born in the US from the transplanted uterus of a deceased woman. This is only the second baby born in the world from using a transplanted uterus from a deceased donor. The first was in Brazil in December 2018.
There are now 11 babies in the world who have been born from transplanted wombs. The mother from Ohio, in her mid 30’s received the transplant in December 2017 and underwent IVF in late 2018. She gave birth to the beautiful baby girl last month.
About 1 in 500 women of childbearing age suffer from uterine factor infertility (UFI), a previously irreversible condition. The transplant and the birth of the baby girl are part of a clinical study programme for UFI sufferers.
“We aim to make these extraordinary events, ordinary!”
Dr. Andreas Tzakis, transplant surgeon and team leader who delivered the baby honoured the deceased donor. He said, “It was amazing how perfectly normal this delivery was, considering how extraordinary the occasion! Through this research, we aim to make these extraordinary events, ordinary for the women who choose this option. We are grateful to the donor and her family, their generosity allowed our patient’s dream to come true.”
The advantage of using a uterus from a deceased donor is that it eliminates the risk experienced by a living donor. It’s early days, but the research team at the Cleveland Clinic are optimistic. They have completed five uterus transplants, of which three were successful. Of the three transplants, one resulted in the June birth, while two other women are waiting for embryo transfers. There is also a list of several women waiting for transplants.
Dr Uma Perni, of the Cleveland Clinic said, “We couldn’t have asked for a better outcome. Everything went wonderfully with the delivery, the mother and baby girl are doing great.” She emphasised that this is still research, but has laid the foundations for the rapid evolution of uterus transplantation. Dr. Perni added, “It’s exciting to see what the options may be for women in the future.”
