Knowledge | Woman born without a uterus delivers a baby boy: first U.S. birth after uterus transplant outside a clinical trial marks a medical milestone
Knowledge | Woman born without a uterus delivers a baby boy: first U.S. birth after uterus transplant outside a clinical trial marks a medical milestone
University of Alabama-Birmingham Hospital announced that a woman born without a uterus became pregnant after a uterus transplant and delivered a healthy baby boy in May 2023. It was the world’s first successful birth following a uterus transplant performed outside a clinical trial and is considered a new milestone combining regenerative medicine and assisted reproductive technology.
In a statement released that week, the hospital said the birth demonstrated that its uterus transplant program could transition to routine medical care and might eventually receive insurance coverage, benefiting more women with infertility.
Mallory: from a teenager without a uterus to a mother holding new life
The mother, Mallory, was born without a uterus due to Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser Syndrome. At age 17, she was diagnosed with UFI (Uterine Factor Infertility), a condition affecting up to 5% of women of reproductive age worldwide that prevents patients from becoming pregnant naturally or carrying a pregnancy.
Mallory’s first child was born through surrogacy with her sister, and this time she chose a uterus transplant so she could experience pregnancy and birth herself. “I felt this was the path I was meant to take,” Mallory said in a statement. “The moment I first heard my baby cry was overwhelming.”
From organ donation to birth: a two-year process involving 50 healthcare professionals
The transplanted uterus came from a deceased donor. The process took about two years and included uterus transplantation, in vitro fertilization (IVF), pregnancy management, and cesarean delivery, with approximately 50 medical specialists working together.
According to the hospital’s uterus transplant program website: “As with other organ transplants, recipients must take immunosuppressive medications to prevent rejection of the transplanted uterus. Once a child is born, if the woman does not plan another pregnancy, the transplanted uterus is usually removed surgically and anti-rejection medication is discontinued.”
Only four hospitals in the United States currently have uterus transplant programs, including the University of Alabama.
Multiple paths to parenthood: uterus transplantation offers women with UFI another option
Mallory’s case provides women with uterine factor infertility another path to parenthood beyond surrogacy and adoption. It also advances public and healthcare-system recognition that uterus transplantation is no longer solely experimental.
“There are many ways to build a family,” Mallory said, “but I firmly believed uterus transplantation was the right path for me.”
Knowledge | Woman born without a uterus delivers a baby boy: first U.S. birth after uterus transplant outside a clinical trial marks a medical milestone
Knowledge | Woman born without a uterus delivers a baby boy: first U.S. birth after uterus transplant outside a clinical trial marks a medical milestone
University of Alabama-Birmingham Hospital announced that a woman born without a uterus became pregnant after a uterus transplant and delivered a healthy baby boy in May 2023. It was the world’s first successful birth following a uterus transplant performed outside a clinical trial and is considered a new milestone combining regenerative medicine and assisted reproductive technology.
In a statement released that week, the hospital said the birth demonstrated that its uterus transplant program could transition to routine medical care and might eventually receive insurance coverage, benefiting more women with infertility.
Mallory: from a teenager without a uterus to a mother holding new life
The mother, Mallory, was born without a uterus due to Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser Syndrome. At age 17, she was diagnosed with UFI (Uterine Factor Infertility), a condition affecting up to 5% of women of reproductive age worldwide that prevents patients from becoming pregnant naturally or carrying a pregnancy.
Mallory’s first child was born through surrogacy with her sister, and this time she chose a uterus transplant so she could experience pregnancy and birth herself. “I felt this was the path I was meant to take,” Mallory said in a statement. “The moment I first heard my baby cry was overwhelming.”
From organ donation to birth: a two-year process involving 50 healthcare professionals
The transplanted uterus came from a deceased donor. The process took about two years and included uterus transplantation, in vitro fertilization (IVF), pregnancy management, and cesarean delivery, with approximately 50 medical specialists working together.
According to the hospital’s uterus transplant program website: “As with other organ transplants, recipients must take immunosuppressive medications to prevent rejection of the transplanted uterus. Once a child is born, if the woman does not plan another pregnancy, the transplanted uterus is usually removed surgically and anti-rejection medication is discontinued.”
Only four hospitals in the United States currently have uterus transplant programs, including the University of Alabama.
Multiple paths to parenthood: uterus transplantation offers women with UFI another option
Mallory’s case provides women with uterine factor infertility another path to parenthood beyond surrogacy and adoption. It also advances public and healthcare-system recognition that uterus transplantation is no longer solely experimental.
“There are many ways to build a family,” Mallory said, “but I firmly believed uterus transplantation was the right path for me.”
Source:
Collected online