See details of first US baby ever born to woman who received womb transplant from deceased donor

The first baby in North America after a womb transplant from a deceased donor has been born at the Cleveland Clinic.

Uterine transplants have enabled more than a dozen women to give birth – some in the US – usually with wombs donated from a living donor such as a friend or relative.

But the little girl, born in June, is the first baby born to a woman who has received a deceased donor transplant in the US, and the second in the world, after Brazil, which achieved that feat in December.

The mother, in her mid-30s, is part of a research trial involving 10 women who are infertile due to uterine complications.

The little girl, born in June, is the first baby following a deceased donor transplant in the US, and the second in the world, after Brazil, which achieved that feat in December.

The uterus was transplanted in late 2017. In late 2018, the mother became pregnant through in-vitro fertilization.

‘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.’

It comes three years after Cleveland Clinic attempted the first ever womb transplant in the US, giving a deceased donor’s womb to patient Lindsey McFarland.

However, it transpired the donor had suffered from an undiagnosed bacterial infection called Candida albicans, which forced doctors to remove the transplant before McFarland and her husband could try to conceive.

For McFarland, that meant her hopes of carrying a child were over; she was no longer eligible for the trial, but her mother will be surrogate for their baby.

At Cleveland Clinic, they say they are learning from past mistakes.

The clinic has done five uterus transplants so far and three have been successful, with two women waiting to attempt pregnancy with new wombs.

These transplants were pioneered by a Swedish doctor who did the first successful one five years ago.

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.

An estimated one in 500 women of child bearing age worldwide are affected by the irreversible condition.

‘It was amazing how perfectly normal this delivery was, considering how extraordinary the occasion,’ said Cleveland Clinic transplant surgeon Andreas Tzakis, MD, PhD.

‘Through this research, we aim to make these extraordinary events, ordinary for the women who choose this option. We are grateful to the donor and her family, their generosity allowed our patient’s dream to come true and a new baby to be born.’