Artificial Womb: Scientists have created an artificial womb, which will provide life support to premature babies.

Artificial Womb Technology: Science has made tremendous progress today, and what once seemed impossible is now possible. Let us tell you how scientists have created an artificial womb.

Artificial Womb

How the Artificial Womb Works: Scientists have developed a technology that could prove lifesaving for premature babies. Researchers in the Netherlands and Germany are working on an artificial womb that can simulate a mother's womb. It's called AquaWomb and is designed to help babies born between 22 and 24 weeks of pregnancy, a stage when their chances of survival are slim. Let's explain how it works.

How does it work?

According to reports, the system operates in a transparent fluid-filled tank, approximately the size of an aquarium, and its temperature remains constant at 37.6 degrees Celsius. The baby floats and grows within a soft double-layer membrane, while oxygen and other vital nutrients are delivered through a synthetic placenta.

What do the experts say?

Professor Frans van de Vosse of Eindhoven University of Technology said, "The biggest challenge is the lungs. It's like juggling ten burning balls at once, none of which should fall." Keeping each organ stable is a highly delicate process. If successful, artificial womb technology could revolutionize the lives of premature babies. Currently, these babies rely on ventilators and incubators, which puts their lungs at risk for permanent damage.

“We don't just want to save lives, but also give parents the opportunity to feel connected to their baby,” says AquaWomb co-founder and CEO Mirthe van der Ven. Some prototypes include ports that allow parents to touch their baby, as well as a uterus phone that transmits the parent's voice and heartbeat through the amniotic fluid.

What's the problem with this?

Experts believe this technology could also raise new ethical and emotional debates in the medical world. Professor Elizabeth Chloe Romanis of Durham University said, "This would be a new stage in human development, for which there is no legal or ethical definition yet." The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has formed a committee to conduct the first human trials of this technology in 2023. It could initially be tested on babies born before 24 weeks, who have a very low chance of survival with current medical methods.

US company Vitara Biomedical has raised $125 million to work on similar biobag technology, suggesting that clinical trials could begin soon. However, bioethics experts warn that while this technology could save millions of lives, it could also challenge traditional definitions of pregnancy and motherhood.