IN A MAJOR breakthrough for reproductive medicine, the UK has celebrated its first birth following a womb transplant. Grace, 36, gave birth to her daughter Amy Isabel in February 2025 at Queen Charlotte’s and Chelsea Hospital in London, following a successful transplant of her sister Amy’s uterus.
The transplant was part of the Womb Transplant UK living donor programme, led by Professor Richard Smith and Miss Isabel Quiroga, with support from Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, and The Lister Hospital. Grace had been born without a functioning womb, a condition that affects around one in 5,000 women in the UK.
Baby Amy’s name honours both her aunt and Miss Quiroga, who co-led the surgical team. Grace and her baby girl are both doing well following a caesarean section birth, with the family expressing deep gratitude for the innovative programme that made their dream of parenthood a reality.
“This is the culmination of over 25 years of research,” said Professor Smith, highlighting the dedication of the multidisciplinary team involved. “We hope this will provide an additional option for women who are unable to carry their own child.”
The living donor womb transplant was performed in early 2023 at the Oxford Transplant Centre, followed by IVF treatment at the Lister Fertility Clinic. Throughout her pregnancy, Grace received specialised care across multiple centres to ensure the success of this groundbreaking journey.
Miss Quiroga noted, “Transplants usually save lives, this one has created a life. It gives hope to many women once told pregnancy was impossible.”
The achievement not only marks a UK first but also offers new possibilities alongside adoption and surrogacy for women affected by uterine infertility.
Further womb transplant procedures are planned under the Womb Transplant UK programme, supported by the Human Tissue Authority and NHS Blood and Transplant, aiming to bring this life-changing option to more families in the future.
Aleksandra Zurowska, EMJ
Reference
NHS. First UK birth following womb transplant. 2025. Available at: https://www.ouh.nhs.uk/news/article.aspx?id=2217. Last accessed: 25 April 2025.
