Baby first in UK to be born to a mother with a womb from a deceased donor

A baby boy, Hugo Powell, is the first child in the UK born to a mother who received a womb transplant from a deceased donor; he was delivered by C-section in December at Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea Hospital.

A baby has become the first child in the UK to be born to a mother who received a womb transplant from a deceased donor. Hugo Powell was delivered by C-section in December at Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea Hospital, weighing about 3.1kg (6lb 13oz). His mother, Grace Bell, was born with Mayer‑Rokitansky‑Kuster‑Hauser (MRKH), a condition that left her without a developed womb. The transplant operation took place in 2024 and was carried out by surgeon Isabel Quiroga, and the mother later underwent fertility treatment at The Lister Fertility Clinic. Key facts: - Hugo Powell was delivered by C-section in December at Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea Hospital, weighing 3.1kg (6lb 13oz). - This is the first birth in the UK from a womb transplanted from a deceased donor; about 25–30 such births have been reported worldwide. - Grace Bell was diagnosed with MRKH and received a transplanted womb in a seven‑hour operation in 2024 performed by Isabel Quiroga. - Five other organs from the same deceased donor were transplanted into four other people. - Charity Womb Transplant UK has funded five womb transplants in the UK; two babies have been born and three recipients are undergoing private IVF. - The couple may choose to have a second child, after which surgeons plan to remove the transplanted womb to avoid long-term immunosuppression. Summary: This birth is described by the clinical team and family members as a milestone for UK reproductive transplant care and adds to a small number of births worldwide from deceased‑donor wombs. The donor’s family said the donation also enabled other transplants and expressed that their daughter’s choice provided comfort amid grief. The programme in the UK has used both living and deceased donors, and the medical team notes removal of the transplanted womb is planned after any further pregnancies.