A Woman Welcomed This Ordinary Baby. But The Birth Was The First Of Its Kind In U.S. History
A warm welcome to an ordinary baby, but the birth was the first of its kind in U.S. history.
Bringing new life into the world is a magical experience for the vast majority of mothers. For one woman in Dallas, Texas, experiencing the miracle of birth was even more marvelous. Too often, she had heard that pregnancy was an impossibility for her. But with a groundbreaking procedure, her baby became the first of its kind in the U.S., and this medical advancement at Baylor gave hope to thousands of would-be moms who thought bearing a child was beyond them.
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A Groundbreaking Clinical Trial
In September 2016, a specialist team at the Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas conducted a series of cutting-edge operations as part of a clinical trial. The surgeons performed four living-donor uterus transplants using a technique that was pioneered in Sweden in 2014.
According to the patient who was the first to undergo the procedure in the U.S., all of the women who took part in the medical trial suffered from absolute uterine factor infertility. This means their uterus was non-existent or non-functional. Some suffer from Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser (MRKH) syndrome. This condition means that while the external genitalia and ovaries are normally developed, the patients believed they would never be able to get pregnant and have naturally born children.
The success of the transplant surgery quickly gave her hope of giving birth for the first time and being able to give life. One woman stepping forward to help was a 36-year-old Dallas native, Taylor Siler, who donated her uterus. Siler, a nurse who already had two children, felt the spirit to help other women experience the joy of having and raising their own kids if they so desired.
“I’m a working mom, and having my kids come home to play is my greatest joy,” Siler said.
She felt the opportunity was too good to pass up. In December 2017, she explained that although she never took the gift of motherhood for granted, she wanted to share it. Siler had heard the beautiful story and recruited family members to support her decision, realizing it’s not fair that out of thousands of people, some don’t have the option to be mothers. That awesome generosity led to her transplant being conducted in 2016.
Overcoming Early Hurdles
Sadly, for the women who undergo this, it can take a toll. Three of the first four transplants failed because the donated uteruses had to be removed due to insufficient blood supply. Nevertheless, the women were determined to try, and the team at Baylor was determined to learn from their early hurdles.
Fortunately, the woman who received Siler’s donated organ had better luck. With the help of anti-rejection drug treatments to ward off the possibility of rejection, the medical team carefully monitored the new uterus. The specialists worked diligently to ensure the organ was receiving a healthy flow of blood. Soon, this patient became the first woman in the U.S. to have a successful uterine transplant.
Once it was reported that the transplanted organ was viable, the team at Baylor became hopeful that the uterus could perform its natural function, conceive, and safely carry a baby to term. The medical experts in Dallas knew that success was possible. The first baby delivered from a transplanted uterus was born in Sweden in 2014. Specialists at Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Gothenburg had since supervised another four births from transplanted uteruses.
A Miracle Pregnancy
This was an incredibly exciting possibility for the Baylor team. Another key member was Dr. Liza Johannesson, an obstetrics and gynecology specialist and part of the original team at Sahlgrenska University Hospital.
Following menstruation, which showed her body was functioning normally, the would-be mother underwent in vitro fertilization (IVF). Surgeons implanted an embryo, and the operation was a success. Months later, the parents shared the exciting news that a pregnancy was underway.
The clinical team at Baylor proudly announced that a healthy baby boy had been born in the last week of November 2017. While they did not disclose his name or gender to the public initially, the father shared his thoughts on the whole experience with TIME magazine:
“I consider having our baby such a miracle. I don’t think there are words to describe the feeling. I will be crying and getting teary-eyed every day, and probably will for the rest of my life. Holding him was just amazing.”
The woman gave birth via a scheduled Cesarean section, surrounded by various members of the medical team who had implanted the uterus. It was a proud moment for the new mom, and the medical specialists rejoiced as the first U.S. baby born via a uterus transplant came out kicking and screaming—a healthy reality.
Looking to the Future
Team member Dr. Liza Johannesson noted that the delivery room was highly emotional.
“We’ve been preparing for this moment for a very long time,” she said.
Fellow obstetrics and gynecology doctor Robert T. Gunby Jr. was the one who actually delivered the history-making newborn.
The medical specialists will continue to monitor the mother and baby. The new mom’s donated uterus is not intended to be a permanent fixture. Since transplant recipients have to take anti-rejection drugs to stop their bodies from rejecting the organ, it has always been the plan for surgeons to remove the uterus after one or two pregnancies.
Following the initial operations in September 2016, the specialists at Baylor have conducted further surgeries to complete the first round of the clinical trial. Depending on the success of these further transplants, the procedure could become a viable option for women with uterine factor infertility whose uteruses are missing or dysfunctional.
However, it should be noted that the total cost surrounding the transplant is in the region of $500,000. The reality is that this could be very difficult for many women to afford. Despite the price tag, Baylor trial leader Dr. Giuliano Testa told TIME magazine:
“We underestimated what this type of transplant does for these women. What I’ve learned emotionally, I do not have the words to describe. For all of them, whatever the exact price tag, it is welcomed by women who feel they will never be able to give birth otherwise.”
