First Baby Born from Uterus from Dead Donor

06.12.2018

A 32-year-old woman, born without a womb, has given birth after receiving a transplanted uterus from a deceased donor. While there have been babies born from uteruses donated by living donors, this is the first successful uterine transplantation from a dead donor, and the first uterine transplant performed in Latin America.

The new findings, from a case study from Brazil published in The Lancet, demonstrate that uterus transplants from deceased donors are feasible and may open access for all women with uterine infertility, without the need for live donors. However, the outcomes and effects of donations from live and deceased donors are yet to be compared, and the surgical and immunosuppression techniques will be optimised in the future.

The recipient of the transplant was a patient with uterine infertility. Previously, there have been 10 other uterus transplants from deceased donors attempted in the USA, Czech Republic and Turkey, but this is the first to result in a livebirth. The first childbirth following uterine transplantation from living donors occurred in Sweden in September 2013 and were also published in The Lancet. In total, there have been 39 procedures of this kind, resulting in 11 livebirths so far.

The pregnancy was achieved using IVF embryos, created using the woman’s own eggs. These were implanted seven months after the uterine transplant. There were no issues during the pregnancy, other than a kidney infection at 32 weeks which was treated with antibiotics in hospital.

The baby girl was born via caesarean section at 35 weeks and three days, and weighed 2550g (around 6lbs). The transplanted uterus was removed during the caesarean section and showed no anomalies.

Science Daily. December 4. The Lancet. December 4.