A “miracle” boy in Alabama has made history as the first baby to be born from a transplanted womb outside of a clinical trial. The groundbreaking procedure took place at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) in May, where the child was delivered by C-section. The mother, who wishes to remain anonymous, suffered from uterine factor infertility due to being born without a uterus. While she had previously used a surrogate to carry her first child, Mallory felt that something was missing from her life not being able to experience pregnancy herself. She was accepted into the Uterus Transplant Program at UAB, where she underwent a rigorous process of IVF, transplantation, pregnancy, and birth over a period of 18 months. This procedure, which had previously only been performed in clinical trials, comes with potential risks such as the fetus being rejected, low birth weight, or harm to the mother. However, Mallory successfully gave birth to a healthy baby boy, making her son the first baby to be born from this method outside of a clinical trial.
During her pregnancy, Mallory experienced typical symptoms such as fatigue and nausea, which she embraced as a reminder of the remarkable miracle she was experiencing. The process involves the removal of an egg from the ovaries, which is then fertilized with sperm in a lab through in vitro fertilization (IVF), creating embryos that are frozen for future use. Once a donated uterus is implanted into the patient, she must take immunosuppressive medications to prevent rejection of the new organ, even throughout the pregnancy. One of the frozen embryos is then placed directly into the transplanted uterus, leading to the subsequent birth via C-section. Mallory was diagnosed with Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome, a rare condition that affects the development of the vagina and uterus, making it impossible for her to carry a pregnancy to term. After more than two decades of living with this condition, Mallory and her family relocated to Birmingham to participate in UAB Medicine’s uterus transplant program.
Dr. Bryan Brocato, a maternal-fetal medicine specialist at UAB, emphasizes the importance of this program in providing women with the opportunity to experience a typical pregnancy despite reproductive organ deficiencies. The technique itself is relatively new, with the first successful uterus transplant occurring in Sweden in 2014. Mallory’s successful birth represents a significant advancement in the field, instilling hope for future pregnancies and childbirths for individuals struggling with infertility. Dr. Anupam Agarwal, UAB’s senior vice president for medicine, expresses gratitude for Mallory’s trust in the UAB Medicine care team throughout her complex journey. The ultimate goal of the UAB program is to make uterus transplantation a routine option for women seeking pregnancy and childbirth but facing various health-related challenges. The team’s expertise and multidisciplinary approach contribute to the program’s success, as demonstrated by Mallory’s story.
The physicians who oversaw Mallory’s case are hopeful that her success will pave the way for more babies to be born through uterus transplants, offering additional possibilities for families struggling with infertility. Furthermore, this milestone may open doors for transgender women to experience childbirth in the future. Dr. Paige Porrett, inaugural director for Vascularized Composite Allotransplantation in UAB’s Comprehensive Transplant Institute, acknowledges that uterus transplantation remains a largely inaccessible treatment for uterine factor infertility worldwide. However, with this remarkable birth, UAB is determined to change that reality and establish uterus transplants as a viable option for those in need. Dr. Porrett views these babies as miracles, representing hope and the restoration of what once seemed impossible.
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