Artificial Womb Technology

1 in 10 babies are born early worldwide, causing preterm birth to be the leading cause of child deaths. It ultimately accounts for more than 1 in 5 deaths occurring before the premature child’s 5th birthday (World Health Organization). Over time many scientists and doctors in the neonatal field have been targeting this issue using new artificial womb technology (AWT).

Current Development in AWT

In 1924 JBS Haldane wrote a book titled Daedalus which centered around the term ectogenesis. The first establishment of AWT was coined under the term ectogenesis, the growth of an organism in an artificial environment outside the body. The first AWT was created in 2017 by Alan Flake and Marcus Davey at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and is being developed by Vitara Biomedical called the Extracorporeal System for Physiologic Fetal Support (Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, 2017). The Extracorporeal System for Physiologic Fetal Support (EXTEND) comprises three components: oxygenator circuit, closed biobag system, and umbilical artery. The test subjects were eight premature fetal lambs equivalent to a 23-24 week gestation human infant. The ewes were sedated and delivered by hysterotomy when they were 105-107 days old and kept on EXTEND for a median of 23 days (Rossidis, 2019). During that time they were monitored every 12 hours to assess their growth through body weight and oxygen delivery. The overall goal of this experiment was for the lambs to be supported till the 28 weeks of gestation, the threshold away from the most severe outcomes. The current system mimics life as closely as possible through a fluid-filled container in a temperature-controlled, sterile environment, and breathing amniotic fluid by monitoring vital signs, blood flow, and other crucial functions. The results of the first attempt at AWT were that physiologic maintenance on EXTEND was consistent in physiologic oxygen delivery, and umbilical blood flow, and had normal blood lactate levels. As for mitochondrial respiration, there were no differences in physiologic maximal mitochondrial oxygen consumption rates. Overall, EXTEND succeeded in keeping physiologic maximal and reserve oxygen consumption rates at normal levels throughout the fetus’ time on EXTEND.