Advertisement
Clinical trial targets women with UFI
A baby girl born last month at Cleveland Clinic has made history. She was the first baby in North America delivered by a mother who received a uterus transplant from a deceased donor.
Advertisement
Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Policy
You’re probably familiar with the idea of a kidney, liver or heart transplant, but uterine transplant is a rapidly evolving field, says maternal-fetal medicine specialist Uma Perni, MD, who was part of the mother’s care team.
“It’s important to remember that this is still research, but it’s exciting to see what the options may be for women in the future,” she says.
The mother, who is in her mid-30s, is part of a groundbreaking research trial involving 10 women with uterine factor infertility. Women who have UFI don’t have a uterus, or had their uterus removed, so they aren’t able to get pregnant. The study is testing whether receiving a uterus transplant from a deceased donor could allow these women to become pregnant (via in-vitro fertilization) and carry and deliver a baby.
This clinical trial reflects the Cleveland Clinic tradition of innovation in clinical medicine. Unlike some other uterus transplant programs, Cleveland Clinic’s trial uses only uteruses from donors who have recently died. This eliminates the risk of potentially harming a living donor, who would need to have major abdominal surgery to have her uterus removed.
“The transplantation of a uterus into a woman is a complex procedure that requires suppression of her immune system response,” says transplant surgeon Andreas Tzakis, MD. “Through this research, we aim to make these extraordinary events ordinary for the women who choose this option. We are grateful to the donor. Their generosity allowed our patient’s dream to come true and a new baby to be born.”
Advertisement
Since the trial began, the team has completed five uterus transplants, three of which were successful (including this one, which resulted in a live birth). Currently, two women are waiting to have embryo transfers, and several more candidates are waiting for a transplant.
Take a closer look at how uterus transplant works in the graphic below.
Advertisement
Learn more about our editorial process.
Advertisement
One is a trained care professional, while the other is a medical caregiver, but both can be important parts of your birthing team
Breastfeeding supplements can be a needless expense at best, and risky at worst
Typically, milk comes in a few days after birth and regulates around four weeks after delivery
Rinses, sitz baths, ice and medication can help the healing
Dental care is not only safe during pregnancy, but it’s also highly recommended
More radiant skin may appear due to physiological responses to pregnancy
A healthy pregnancy diet includes good amounts of folic acid, DHA, calcium and more
From the football hold to the cradle hold, consider trying a variety of techniques
A healthy diet can easily meet your body’s important demands for magnesium
A super high heart rate means you’re burning more than fat
Type 2 diabetes isn’t inevitable with these dietary changes