A new medical breakthrough offers hope for infertile women without the need for adoption or surrogacy. Little Henry Bryant has made history as the first Australian baby to be birthed from a transplanted uterus. In 2021, Henry’s mother, Kristy Bryant, experienced a life-threatening episode after the birth of her first child. She had to undergo emergency surgery to remove her uterus, leaving her unable to conceive. “After my hysterectomy, I desperately wanted another child and I felt like there weren’t many options for somebody in my situation,” she said.
A new groundbreaking research trial was conducted using funds from the Royal Hospital for Women Foundation, led by Associate Professor and Gynecologist, Rebecca Deans, from The Royal Hospital for Women, and UNSW Sydney. As a participant in the trial, Ms. Bryant underwent a uterus transplantation, with her mother, Michelle, donating her uterus to her daughter. Not long after the procedure, Ms. Bryant fell pregnant and gave birth to baby Henry Bryant on Dec. 15, 2023, via caesarian section at a healthy weight of 2.9 kilograms.
This outcome was a breakthrough for both Ms. Bryant and the researchers. “To hold this baby in my arms is a dream come true,” said Ms. Bryant. She experienced hopelessness after her hysterectomy, but this clinical trial created a miracle. For Dr. Deans from the Royal Hospital, this outcome was a career highlight. “To see this medical breakthrough creating a new life is quite extraordinary,” she said.
Professor Mats Brännström, the surgeon who performed the world’s first successful uterus transplant in Sweden, said transplantation offers new hope for infertile women. “This gives hope to other women with uterine factor infertility that they can carry a child of their own without the need for other options such as adoption and surrogacy,” he said.