The UK has made a breakthrough in reproductive medicine with the birth of Amy Isabel Davidson, the country’s first baby born from a womb transplant. This milestone places the UK alongside countries pioneering this fertility treatment.
The achievement follows the 2014 birth of Vincent Stenberg in Sweden, the world’s first baby born from a transplanted womb. His mother, Malin Stenberg, born without a uterus due to MRKH syndrome, received the transplant from a family friend. Vincent, now 10, is described as a healthy and energetic boy.
Amy’s birth on February 27 at Queen Charlotte’s and Chelsea Hospital in London marks the UK’s entry into womb transplantation. Her mother, Grace Davidson, 36, who also has MRKH, carried the child after receiving a womb from her sister, Amy Purdie, 42.
Malin Stenberg expressed joy for the Davidson family, saying, “I’m very, very happy for them. We were so grateful for the opportunity to have kids.”
Professor Richard Smith, a consultant gynaecologist at Imperial College NHS Trust, has led womb transplant research in the UK for nearly 30 years. Womb Transplant UK, which supports the procedure, has approval for 15 transplants, with over 400 women offering to donate their wombs.
This advancement provides new hope for the 15,000 women in the UK unable to carry children due to conditions like MRKH. Traditionally, their options were limited to adoption or surrogacy.
Surgeon Isabel Quiroga-Giraldez, who performed the transplant on Grace, sees this as the start of a shift in how women’s fertility is viewed. “It’s about changing perceptions,” she said.
Womb Transplant UK covers the £25,000-£30,000 cost of each procedure, with volunteers handling the medical work. Smith hopes the NHS will eventually offer womb transplants as standard care.
For Malin Stenberg and her family, the birth of Vincent remains a miracle. “It was a gift,” she said. “We are truly grateful to the doctors.”
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