CLEVELAND (AP) — The Cleveland Clinic says it has delivered the first baby in North America after a womb transplant from a dead donor.
“We couldn’t have asked for a better outcome. Everything went wonderfully with the delivery, the mother and baby girl are doing great,” said Uma Perni, M.D., Cleveland Clinic maternal fetal medicine specialist. “It’s important to remember this is still research. The field of uterus transplantation is rapidly evolving, and it’s exciting to see what the options may be for women in the future.”
The transplant and birth are part of an on-going clinical trial – Uterine Transplantation for the Treatment of Uterine Factor Infertility – at Cleveland Clinic, offering hope to women worldwide who are unable to have a baby due to uterine factor infertility. An estimated 1 in 500 women of child bearing age worldwide are affected by the irreversible condition.
Uterine transplants have enabled more than a dozen women to give birth, usually with wombs donated from a living donor such as a friend or relative. In December, doctors in Brazil reported the world's first birth using a deceased donor's womb.
These transplants were pioneered by a Swedish doctor who did the first successful one five years ago.
The Cleveland Clinic said Tuesday that the girl was born in June. The clinic has done five uterus transplants so far and three have been successful, with two women waiting to attempt pregnancy with new wombs. In all, the clinic aims to enroll 10 women in its study.