Danielle Husband
According to reports from Baylor University Medical Center, a Dallas mother gave birth by Caesarean to the first baby born from a transplanted uterus in the United States.
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The birth is being celebrated as a landmark achievement for Baylor University, where doctors reportedly began an ongoing research study in 2016 to help women who struggle with infertility.
Researchers say they hope their findings to enable women to give birth to their own biological children.
Baylor University Medical Center announces first baby born in U.S. from #uterustransplant https://t.co/BZSrHH9D4T pic.twitter.com/ATXD3AFwOs
— Baylor Scott & White Health (@bswhealth) December 4, 2017
While Baylor doctors said they planned to perform 10 uterus transplants as part of the study, they could only confirm performing four.
However, Time Magazine reported they performed a total of eight transplants.
This is the first baby to result from the transplants, occurring after one of the four confirmed operations; three other transplants reportedly failed.
However, according to Time Magazine, another pregnancy as part of the study is in progress.
Dr. Giuliano Testa, who is the clinical trial’s principal investigator, spoke about the significance of the successful uterus transplant:
“We are here we are very humbled by understanding the depth of the desire of a woman to carry her own pregnancy,” Testa said in the interview. “It was probably the one thing that as a man, as a father even, that I totally underestimated.”
"This first live birth to a #uterustransplant recipient in the United States was a milestone in our work to solve absolute uterine factor infertility." —Giuliano Testa, MD, principal investigator of the uterine transplant clinical trial at #BaylorDallas https://t.co/UaN4572gBe pic.twitter.com/VL3Mh9Clsn
— Baylor Scott & White Health (@bswhealth) December 4, 2017
While the family of the history-making baby boy asked for privacy, they did release a statement:
“We consider ourselves profoundly blessed to have been part of this study, and we are optimistic that this initial success will lead to many more in the future.”
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Experts agree results of the clinical trial could help women who are born without a uterus, lost their uterus or no longer possess function of the female organ.
According to the study, participants ranged in age from 20 to 35 years old with functioning ovaries.
While this is the first U.S. birth following a uterus transplant, Swedish doctor Mats Brannstrom is said to be the first doctor with success in delivering babies born from a transplanted uterus:
As of last year, his record reportedly includes eight babies born from transplants.
Congrats to these new Texas parents!
