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Artificial Wombs and Ectogenesis
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# Artificial Wombs and Ectogenesis Portal: Reproduction & Development Stage: Preclinical (large-animal) Evidence: Preclinical Template: Technology Risk: High Reversibility: Context dependent Last reviewed: Apr 2026 == Summary == Extracorporeal support systems have kept premature lambs developing for weeks, pointing toward partial ectogenesis for extreme prematurity — a long way from full gestation. == Key takeaways == * A fluid-filled system with an oxygenator has sustained premature lambs for weeks. * The near-term goal is a bridge for extremely premature infants, not gestation from conception. * Full ectogenesis raises unresolved developmental, ethical, and legal questions. == How it works == An artificial-womb system encloses the fetus in a sterile fluid environment and drives gas exchange through the umbilical vessels, avoiding the injury that ventilating immature lungs causes. The demonstrated use case is narrow: supporting a late-second-trimester fetus already viable but too immature for conventional care, effectively extending the womb rather than replacing it. == How far it is from full ectogenesis == Gestating a human from conception outside a body is not on the horizon: the earliest weeks of development, placental formation, and the maternal environment are poorly substituted. Even the near-term bridge raises hard questions about consent, viability thresholds, and long-term outcomes, which is why first human use is expected to be tightly governed. == Open questions == * Do infants supported this way have normal long-term development? * Where should the viability and legal thresholds sit? == Watchlist == * First-in-human trials * Long-term neurodevelopment * Governance frameworks == References == * Extra-uterine support of the premature lamb — Partridge et al., Nature Communications, 2017. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28440792/. Sustained premature lambs for weeks in a fluid-filled system. == Categories == [[Category:Reproduction & Development]] [[Category:ectogenesis]] [[Category:neonatology]] [[Category:development]]