A Pennsylvania woman, who gave birth to a boy she carried inside a transplanted womb, said Thursday that the experimental procedure delivered a “miracle.” This miracle baby has finally been born and is ready to see the world.
On Thursday at a news conference in Philadelphia the parents of the miracle baby told that Their child, Benjamin, was the first baby born as part of Penn Medicine’s 2-year-old uterine transplant trial, and the eighth baby in the United States to be born to the recipient of a uterus transplant.
Jennifer Gobrecht, 33, was born without a uterus and underwent a 10-hour transplant procedure in 2018. The uterus came from a deceased donor. “This journey has not been easy, but every time I look at Benjamin’s face, I know it was worth it,” she said. “Benjamin is truly a miracle, and we feel beyond lucky to have him”, she expressed.
Gobrecht has Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser syndrome, a congenital condition that occurs in 1 of every 4,500 females. She learned at age 17, and she wouldn’t be able to carry a child.
“That was a very difficult thing to hear as a teenage girl who had dreams of being a loving mother,” Gobrecht said. “Like many young girls, I dreamed of how it would feel to grow a baby in my womb, to feel them kick inside me, and those dreams disappeared.”
“Two years ago, if you had told me I would be sitting here not only a mother but one who got to bear her own child, I simply would have not believe you,” Gobrecht said. “But here I am”, she added.
Every woman in her lifetime desires for motherhood, to have a baby of her own is a blessing that not everyone is lucky enough to have. The women who are unable to deliver their own babies often opt for procedures involving fertility treatments but going for a uterus transplant is a big thing.
Infertility affects 10-15% of couples of reproductive age. Of this group, one in 500 women have uterine anomalies due to congenital anomalies, or through unexpected malformation, hysterectomy, or infection. Before the advent of uterus transplants, the only available options to have a child were adoption or surrogacy.
Uterus transplantation is today the only available treatment for absolute uterine factor infertility which is caused by either congenital/surgical uterine absence or that a present uterus is non-functioning. Currently, uterus donation is only available for women with family members who are willing to donate. With live donors in short supply, the technique of transplanting the uterus of deceased donors might help to increase availability and give more women the option of pregnancy.
This miracle baby will give hope to many women around the world who desire for pregnancy and are willing go for transplant.
