Woman with transplanted uterus gives birth to healthy child

PanARMENIAN.Net - A healthy baby has been born at a Dallas hospital to a mother who received a uterus transplant. It’s a medical first for the United States, and an important milestone in the battle against infertility.

As Time magazine reports, the landmark birth happened at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. The sex, weight, and exact date of birth were not disclosed, and the new mom, along with her husband, have asked to remain anonymous. A 36-year-old registered nurse who has two children of her own donated the uterus, which was transplanted as part of a trial being conducted by the Baylor Scott & White Research Institute.

It’s the first time a baby has been born in the US after a uterus transplant, with several prior live births having successfully taken place at Sweden’s Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Gothenburg. Transplant surgeon Liza Johannesson, who was part of the Baylor Scott & White team, was involved in the first womb transplants in Sweden.

Uterus transplants represent a new infertility treatment option for women with a condition known as “absolute uterine factor infertility,” where the uterus doesn’t function properly or is nonexistent. Baylor, which launched its womb transplant program last year, has completed eight out of 10 planned uterus transplants. Of these, three have failed, Gizmodo says.

The exceptionally intricate procedure takes about 10 hours—five hours to remove the healthy uterus from a donor, and another five to perform the transplant. Once a transplant is successful, in vitro fertilization is required to kickstart the pregnancy, as the ovaries are not connected to the transplanted womb.