Amy Isabel, first UK baby born from a womb transplant
The first baby in the UK to be born following a womb transplant is Amy Isabel, who was delivered on February 27, 2025.
This historic event marks a significant milestone in reproductive medicine and offers new hope to women who are unable to conceive due to the absence or dysfunction of their uterus.
Grace Davidson, the mother, was diagnosed with Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser (MRKH) syndrome, a rare condition affecting approximately one in every 5,000 women.
This condition results in an underdeveloped or absent uterus while leaving the ovaries intact, allowing for the possibility of pregnancy through assisted reproductive technologies such as IVF.
Grace’s journey toward motherhood began when she and her husband, Angus Davidson, underwent fertility treatments that resulted in seven viable embryos being created and frozen prior to her womb transplant.
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In February 2023, Grace received a womb transplant from her older sister, Amy Purdie. The surgery took place at Oxford University Hospitals and lasted around eight hours. This living donation was part of a program aimed at providing women like Grace with the opportunity to carry their own children.
After several months post-transplant, one of Grace’s frozen embryos was successfully implanted via IVF. The pregnancy progressed well despite some early concerns about bleeding. Ultimately, Amy Isabel was born via planned caesarean section at Queen Charlotte’s and Chelsea Hospital in London. She weighed 2.04 kg (approximately 4.5 lbs) at birth.
Grace described the moment she held her daughter as overwhelming and surreal: “It was just hard to believe she was real,” she said. Both parents expressed immense joy and gratitude for this life-changing experience after years of longing for a family.
This successful birth represents not only a personal triumph for the Davidson family but also a groundbreaking achievement in medical science. It is expected to inspire hope among many women facing similar reproductive challenges due to uterine factor infertility. Prior to this event, over 100 womb transplants had been performed worldwide since the first successful procedure in Sweden in 2014, resulting in approximately 50 live births globally.
The lead surgeons involved in this historic operation were Professor Richard Smith and Isabel Quiroga, both of whom have dedicated years to advancing womb transplantation techniques. Their emotional response during and after the delivery underscores the significance of this medical breakthrough.
As more women express interest in womb transplants—over 100 have already shown interest in participating in ongoing programs—the potential for expanding reproductive options continues to grow within the UK healthcare system.
The birth of Amy Isabel marks a pivotal moment not only for Grace and Angus Davidson but also for reproductive medicine as it opens doors for future advancements and possibilities for women with similar conditions.
