Womb With A View

I had a small newspaper route when I was a kid, and on my route, there lived a dog. He was a most unusual dog, all wrinkly, with a lot of excess skin, and today I realize that he was probably a Chinese Sharpei breed, but in the eyes of a kid, he just looked like he was in a bag, and so I took to calling him "dog in a bag."

Flash forward a few decades...medical science and technology has advanced to the point where animals can be born, not from the womb of their Mothers, but, guess what...in a bag!

Recently, six lambs were born in "artificial womb bio-bags," full of nutrient rich, artificial amniotic fluid, that replicates the conditions of a real womb, with the lambs pumping their own blood through artificial placentas.

This could soon be utilized to keep premature babies alive.

Scientists say they could be ready for human trials within 3-5 years, and that the bags will provide an environment in which extremely premature babies can develop their lungs and other organs at the 23 to 28 week stage, thus dramatically improving chances of survival.

The new system is superior to what hospitals are currently able to provide.

The lambs used in the research "breathed and swallowed normally, opened their eyes, grew wool, and developed properly functioning nerves and organs." (Nature Commun- ications)

Six lambs stayed in the "womb" for about a month. Some were humanely killed to allow analysis, but a few were allowed to survive, and were bottle fed, exhibiting normal development in every way.

Infants born at 23 weeks now have only a 30-50% likelihood of surviving, and those who do survive have a high probability of suffering a lifelong disability.

This "womb with a view" may some day save many lives, as well as lessening the chance of disabilities!