A ‘miracle’ baby has been born after her mum had the UK’s first ever womb transplant.
Amy Isobel Davidson was born via planned Caesarian, after a pregnancy which was closely monitored by doctors.
Her mum, Grace Davidson received a donated womb from her sister Amy, and their medical team have now shared their joy at seeing such success.
Professor Richard Smith, among those to pioneer the transplant technique, first proved it could be possible in rabbits over 15 years ago.
He said: ‘I feel great joy, actually, unbelievable – 25 years down the line from starting this research, we finally have a baby, little Amy Isabel.
‘There’s been a lot of tears shed by all of us in this process.’
Consultant surgeon Isabel Quiroga, who leads the UK’s womb transplant programme with Prof Smith, said she was ‘humbled’ to hear the baby’s middle name and ‘couldn’t be happier for Angus and Grace’, who she called a ‘wonderful couple’.
Amy was delivered early, on February 27 at Queen Charlotte’s and Chelsea Hospital in London, to make sure that the delivery happened in a medical setting in case of any complications.
Consultant obstetrician, Bryony Jones, who delivered Amy, said: ‘It was such a special moment when Amy was born and then started to cry.
Fertility specialist Ben Jones, from the Lister Fertility Clinic in London, transferred the embryo that resulted in the pregnancy.
He said: ‘The moment I transferred this embryo, I hoped for a miracle – today, that miracle is in her (Grace’s) arms.
‘This is a testament to the power of science, resilience, and the unwavering dream of motherhood.’
Checks carried out during the delivery surgery show the donated womb is functioning as it should.
Dr Quiroga added: ‘If everything’s well, it should hold a second pregnancy – if that’s what Grace and Angus want.’
A transplanted womb should last five years, which is enough for two pregnancies, although surgeons would advise against having three babies,partly due to the long-term effects of immunosuppressants on the mother’s immune system.
International evidence suggests womb transplants can be very risky and the early failure rate is relatively high.
The NHS does not yet provide funding for the procedure, but Prof Smith hopes this could now change as the UK programme has been a success so far.
The charity he set up, Womb Transplant UK, has carried out one living donor transplant, on Grace, and another three on women who received wombs from deceased donors.
All wombs are functioning well, and Prof Smith said he hoped all women to receive one would go on to have children.
Currently, a deceased donor transplant costs the charity £25,000 and a living donor one is £30,000, with the extra £5,000 paying for the surgery to retrieve the organ.
The families then pay for their IVF procedures, while the NHS takes over care of the mother and baby once pregnancy occurs.
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