A significant medical milestone has been reached in the UK with the birth of baby Amy Isabel, the first child born from a womb transplant. The historic event took place when Grace Davidson, 36, from north London, gave birth at Queen Charlotte’s and Chelsea Hospital on February 27, 2023. Baby Amy was born via a planned NHS Caesarean section, weighing 4.5 pounds.
The successful delivery follows a groundbreaking procedure where Mrs Davidson received a donated womb from her older sister, Amy Purdie, 42, who resides in Scotland. Mrs Davidson had been born with Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser (MRKH), a rare condition impacting approximately 1 in every 5,000 women, resulting in an underdeveloped or absent womb. This condition, however, does not affect the ovaries, allowing for fertility treatments like IVF.
In preparation for the transplant, Mrs Davidson and her husband, Angus, 37, who works in finance, had previously engaged in fertility treatments to create seven embryos, which were frozen for future use. The womb transplant surgery took place in February 2023, marking the first successful living donor womb transplant in the UK.
Reflecting on the moment she first held her daughter, Mrs Davidson expressed her amazement and joy, stating to the PA news agency, “We have been given the greatest gift we could ever have asked for. It was just hard to believe she was real.” She noted the immense happiness of their family, emphasising a sense of completeness now that they have welcomed Amy Isabel into their lives.
Husband Angus provided an emotional account of the birth, noting that the atmosphere in the delivery room, filled with supportive medical staff who had been involved in their journey, was charged with joy and love. He recounted, “We had been kind of suppressing emotion, probably for 10 years, and you don’t know how that’s going to come out – ugly crying it turns out!” He also described his concern that their newborn would be whisked away to a ward, but gratefully, baby Amy stayed with them from the moment of her birth.
Following the birth, baby Amy required a brief stay in the hospital to establish successful feeding, initially experiencing some jaundice that necessitated light therapy. However, Mrs Davidson reported that her daughter was progressing well and becoming more alert.
Prof. Richard Smith, clinical lead at Womb Transplant UK and one of the surgeons who performed the transplant, expressed his profound joy at witnessing the birth after years of research. “I feel great joy actually, unbelievable – 25 years down the line from starting this research, we finally have a baby, little Amy Isabel. Astonishing, really astonishing,” he remarked.
Miss Isabel Quiroga, a consultant surgeon at the Oxford Transplant Centre and also in the operating theatre during the delivery, echoed similar sentiments, stating her happiness for the couple and the overwhelming nature of the experience.
As the couple contemplates their future, they have indicated a desire to expand their family further, with Mrs Davidson expressing hope that their journey will inspire other women facing similar challenges. She remarked, “Like here’s this wonderful baby, and there’s that real desire in me, like an innate desire, to be a mum, to carry my baby and to know them from the earliest moment.”
Meanwhile, Mrs Purdie, who chose to donate her womb without hesitation, shared her pride at witnessing her sister become a mother. “Watching Grace and Angus become parents has been an absolute joy and worth every moment,” she stated.
Womb Transplant UK has successfully conducted four womb transplants to date, which includes the first successful living donor procedure. With funds available for two more operations, the charity is actively fundraising to continue this revolutionary programme, which has the potential to change the lives of many women diagnosed with conditions affecting the uterus.
Source: Noah Wire Services