UK baby born after womb transplant

Admin

April 8, 2025
4 min read

A UK baby girl born in London has become the first in the country to arrive following a womb transplant from a living donor, a moment described by her parents as nothing short of a miracle. Grace Davidson, 36, who was born without a functioning uterus, gave birth to baby Amy in February, two years after receiving a womb donated by her sister, Amy Purdie.

The family, originally from Scotland and now living in north London, spoke to the BBC about the milestone, which marks a turning point in reproductive medicine in the UK. “It was quite overwhelming,” Grace said, recalling the moment she first held her daughter. “We’d never really let ourselves imagine what it would be like for her to be here.”

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Grace has Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser (MRKH) syndrome, a rare condition where the womb is absent or underdeveloped, though the ovaries are functional. After fertility treatment and years of uncertainty, including delays during the Covid pandemic, her sister was approved as a living donor. In February 2023, a medical team of over 30 professionals carried out the procedure at the Churchill Hospital in Oxford. It took around 17 hours.

Within two weeks of the transplant, Grace had her first period. A successful IVF attempt followed, and the pregnancy progressed without major complications. Baby Amy was delivered by Caesarean section at Queen Charlotte’s Hospital in west London.

“I have always had a mothering instinct,” Grace told the BBC. “But for years I had been suppressing it because it was too painful to go there.” Naming their daughter Amy was an “absolute no-brainer,” her husband Angus said, paying tribute to the aunt who made it all possible.

The couple are now hoping to have a second child using the same womb, after which the uterus will be removed. This will allow Grace to stop taking immunosuppressants, which carry long-term health risks if used indefinitely.

The transplant was funded by Womb Transplant UK, a charity headed by Professor Richard Smith at Imperial College London. The charity also provided the NHS costs for the procedure, with all the medical professionals donating their time.

Professor Smith, who has spent over 20 years researching this field, described the successful birth as a moment of hope for the approximately 5,000 women in the UK who were born without a womb. The team has permission to carry out up to 15 womb transplants as part of a clinical trial, five from living donors and ten from deceased donors. More than 130 womb transplants have taken place globally, resulting in over 65 births to date.

Womb donation from deceased donors is also underway in the UK, requiring separate consent from the donor’s family. To learn more about how this process works, the Womb Transplant UK website provides insight into ongoing trials and eligibility.

As the first UK baby born from this pioneering procedure, Amy’s arrival marks a significant step forward in fertility options for women with uterine factor infertility. Grace and Angus are now enjoying life as new parents while also helping to open up new possibilities for others facing the same journey.

For more updates on medical breakthroughs and family stories like this one, visit EyeOnLondon. We’d love to hear your views in the comments.

[Image Credit: Luma Pimentel]