Baby Revolution: 70 Babies Born Through Transplants, and Counting

Significant improvements in uterus transplants are making it more likely than ever that women who want to give birth can.

Thus far, more than 70 babies have been born thanks to successful uterus transplants. “The success rate is extraordinary,” says Liza Johannesson, the medical director of uterus transplants at Baylor University Medical Center. “We want this to be an option for all women out there that need it.”

After many trial and error, doctors have revealed that this surgery now yields a high success rate for both the mother and the baby and does not seem to cause any long-term harm. The donated uterus, however, should only come from individuals who have had a baby before, are premenopausal, and share the blood type of the recipient. As of now, absolute uterine-factor infertility is a condition that affects about one in 500 women worldwide, rendering their child-bearing ability to zero. The rapidly evolving uterine transplant surgery might change the future for many willing women. “It’s a completely new world,” adds Giuliano Testa, chief of abdominal transplants at Baylor University Medical Center.