Preterm birth is a global problem that affects 15 million babies each year, and it's the leading cause of death among children below the age of 5.
Now imagine you could take a premature baby and let it grow inside an artificial wombs for a few more weeks so that it can get stronger and healthier, before letting it out into the world!
What sounds like science fiction is already in the works.
Researchers from the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia have successfully created an artificial womb and grown premature lambs in it.
The lamb fetuses were around 15 weeks old, which is the equivalent to human fetuses being around 22-24 weeks old.
They spent 4 weeks in the artificial womb, and not only survived but matured well: they grew their first wool coat, opened their eyes and became more active, just like lambs in a regular womb would.
What is the problem with preterm birth?
The most obvious reason is that the fetus is not fully developed yet - mentally and physically.
Many preterm babies suffer from a lifetime of diseases or disabilities, which can range anywhere from visual-, hearing-, learning-, cognitive impairment or physical restrictions.
Another problem are the lungs:
Normally, a fetus floats in amniotic fluid inside the womb, a clear fluid full of nutrients, and gets its oxygen through the umbilical cord.
When a human fetus gets to 24 weeks, his lung structure changes, and the Alveoli (which swap out oxygen and carbon dioxide) develop.
But if the baby is born prematurely at that age and starts breathing regular air all of a sudden, the Alveoli aren't ready yet and can be damaged, which can lead to lung diseases in the future of the child's life.
Watch this video from the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, the conductors of the experiment:
How does the artificial womb work?
The so-called "BioBag" that the researchers have developed is filled with an artificial amniotic fluid, consisting mostly of electrolytes.
The fetus is being placed into the bag within seconds after delivery, to make sure that its lungs won't suffer.
The artificial womb also has an artificial umbilical cord, which supplies the fetus with oxygen, minerals, fats, sugars and amino acids that get pumped in by the fetus' heartbeat alone.
After the experiment, the lamb fetuses were able to breath normally, and were bottle-fed by the research team. They seemed to have developed completely normally in all areas.
The researchers behind this technology have made it clear that it's not their goal to create a dystopian future where women aren't needed for birth anymore - instead, they want to give preterm babies a chance to grow until they've fully developed.
Also, this could be an alternative for women that can't give birth, don't have a placenta, are too old, or face any other health risks that makes it impossible for them to carry out a child.
Human trials with this kind of technology are still several years away, but experiments like these show that it might be possible, which gives millions of preterm babies and their mothers hope!
Images: 1, 2, 3, Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
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