Womb Transplant

United Kingdom has for the first time given a nod to womb transplant operations, a move that could bring joy to thousands of women who do not have a viable womb. The nod however has been granted to only 10 women for a clinical trial.

The move by the British government comes after a woman successfully gave birth to a baby from transplanted womb in Sweden last year. The transplanted womb came from the woman’s own mother i.e. the baby was born from the same womb from which the woman was born. The womb transplant program has identified 104 women for transplants after authorities received numerous requests from infertile women. The program will be open to women who are in a long term relationship aged between 25 and 38 with normal ovaries and own eggs. Women however have to be British nationals and eligible for NHS care.

Project leader Richard Smith from Imperial College of London said that it offers a ray of light for 50,000 women of child-bearing age who were born without a womb or had it removed due to illnesses such as cancer. The success of the trial will see the first transplant baby in late 2017 or 2018.