image: A third family has welcomed a baby after the mother participated in the uterus transplant clinical trial at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas. The family has asked for privacy at this time, but they are revealing images of their baby girl, who was born in June 2019. view more
Credit: Baylor Scott & White Health
DALLAS, Texas - Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas, a part of Baylor Scott & White Health, today announces that a third family has welcomed a baby after the mother participated in a landmark uterus transplant clinical trial.
The family has asked for privacy at this time, but they are revealing images of their baby girl to the world. The images can be seen online:
This birth is the latest medical milestone in the uterus transplant clinical trial at Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas, being conducted through Baylor Scott & White Research Institute. This latest birth was the result of an altruistic living-donor transplant, in which neither the donor nor the recipient knows the identity of the other.
"We are honored to have helped this family welcome their new baby and humbled by the selfless act of the organ donor who made this pregnancy a possibility," said Giuliano Testa, MD, principal investigator of the uterus transplant clinical trial at Baylor University Medical Center, chief of abdominal transplantation, and chairman, Baylor Annette C. and Harold C. Simmons Transplant Institute.
"Each delivery is further evidence that uterus transplantation is a viable option for women with absolute uterine factor infertility," said Liza Johannesson, MD, PhD, gynecologic surgeon and medical director of uterus transplantation at Baylor University Medical Center.
Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas is among the first in the U.S. to explore uterus transplantation, which is being studied as a new infertility treatment option for women with absolute uterine factor infertility, meaning their uterus is nonfunctioning or nonexistent. The clinical trial team led by principal investigator Giuliano Testa, MD, has now performed a total of 20 uterus transplants, making it the largest program in the world.
As a major academic medical center with one of the nation's top transplant programs, Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas attributes the success of this clinical trial to a multidisciplinary team of physicians, nurses, and research investigators in a range of specialties including transplant, gynecology, obstetrics, maternal/fetal medicine and psychology. The medical team has more than 35 years of experience helping women have babies while taking immunosuppressive medications following organ transplantation. With the support of Baylor Scott & White Research Institute, this innovative program is committed to advancing the science of uterus transplantation for the benefit of the broader medical community and women living with uterine factor infertility.
The uterine transplant clinical trial is one of many research trials Baylor University Medical Center and Baylor Scott & White Research Institute have conducted. Baylor Scott & White Research Institute provides the resources and infrastructure needed to safely and effectively accelerate medical breakthroughs and bring forward innovative new treatment models. Each year, Baylor Scott & White Research Institute oversees the management of nearly 2,000 active trials, spanning 50 specialty areas, at sites across Baylor Scott & White Health.
Philanthropic support for this innovative clinical trial was provided by Baylor Scott & White Foundation - Dallas. The Foundation is seeking additional funds to continue this research, which could potentially benefit other women with absolute uterine infertility via this pioneering procedure.
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To learn more about this study, including eligibility requirements, call 1.844.BSW.DOCS (1.844.279.3627) or visit: BSWHealth.com/UterusTransplant
About Baylor Scott & White Health
As the largest not-for-profit health system in the state of Texas, Baylor Scott & White Health promotes the health and well-being of every individual, family and community it serves. An integrated care delivery network, the system includes the Scott and White Health Plan, Baylor Scott & White Research Institute and Baylor Scott & White Quality Alliance. Through 50 hospitals and more than 1,000 access points including flagship academic medical centers in Dallas and Temple, the system offers the full continuum of care, from primary to award-winning specialty care, throughout Texas, and via virtual touchpoints. If its service area were a state, it would be the eighth largest, providing care to a population larger than that of the state of Georgia. Founded as a Christian ministry of healing, Baylor Scott & White is proud to honor its century-long legacy through its commitment to improving accessibility, affordability and the customer experience for all. For more information, visit BSWHealth.com.