The impact of artificial wombs: A look at the potential benefits and challenges

Birth is a universal experience. Every person has been born from the body of another. The development of artificial wombs will change this.

Artificial wombs are medical devices that mimic the environment of the womb during pregnancy. This technology will allow a human to be gestated in an artificial womb instead of in a human body.

In recent decades there have been significant research breakthroughs in the development of artificial wombs for animals. In 2017, premature lamb fetuses were successfully gestated for up to four weeks in artificial wombs. The lambs not only survived but developed: they gained weight, grew wool coats, and opened their eyes. Artificial wombs have now been tested on hundreds of lambs, pigs, and mice. This animal research has laid the groundwork for the next stage: human trials.

It is expected that the first human trials for artificial wombs will be for premature babies. Babies that are born prematurely have not finished growing and may have health issues associated with their interrupted growth. Babies born as early as 25 weeks have good chances for survival if they receive intensive medical care, but many will develop severe health conditions including problems with breathing and feeding. These health conditions could be prevented or minimised if premature babies can finish growing inside artificial wombs. These devices may also give premature babies a stronger chance of survival, as many babies do not survive after premature birth. Artificial wombs designed specifically for premature babies have been developed and some are on the cusp of human trials (see BioNews 1210).

Countries have distinct legal and ethical requirements that must be satisfied before new medical technology can be tested in humans. In the UK, approval must be obtained from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), according to the Nuffield Council on Bioethics. In the USA, an exemption must be granted by the Food and Drug Agency (FDA). The FDA has already started to consider this new technology, and if an exemption is granted, it is possible that human trials may start in the USA as early as this year, according to MIT Technology Review.

Artificial wombs could also provide an alternative method for having children. A woman could intentionally end her pregnancy – at any stage – by removing the fetus and transferring it to an artificial womb to grow to full term. This would allow someone to have a child even if they are unable to carry a pregnancy to full term or if they develop a condition that prevents them from continuing their pregnancy safely, such as an ectopic pregnancy. It could also be an option for those who simply no longer want to be pregnant but do not want to have a termination via abortion, either because they still want to have the baby, or they would prefer the baby to be adopted.

Artificial womb technology could be further developed to allow a human to be entirely grown within an artificial womb: from embryo to birth. This would provide another method for people to have children without experiencing pregnancy at all, in addition to the current options of adoption and surrogacy, for those who cannot or do not want to become pregnant.

Societal expectations for women may change if they are no longer seen as exclusive child-bearers, potentially leading to increased gender equality. For example, expectations for taking time off work to care for children may no longer primarily fall on women. There is also a finite age range during which a woman is fertile and able to have a child. The use of artificial wombs will provide more flexibility about at what age someone chooses to have a child, which may alter societal expectations about when we choose to have children.

The treatment of premature babies and introduction of new reproductive choices are beneficial changes which may be easily accepted in society. The social use of artificial wombs has been portrayed in films such as The Pod Generation (see BioNews 1235), which follows a couple having a baby via a portable artificial womb called a 'pod' in a technologically advanced society. Science fiction films such as I Am Mother have even touted artificial wombs as a method of creating new humans if humanity becomes extinct. However. the use of artificial wombs also presents several challenges.

It is unclear what legal status should be assigned to humans that reside within artificial wombs. A baby is recognised as a legal person under UK law once it has been born alive. Before birth, an unborn fetus has no legal status. UK law does not provide a clear definition for those residing in artificial wombs, as they do not clearly fit within the born or unborn definitions. Similarly, legal parenthood is assigned based on birth as the birth mother automatically becomes the legal parent. These rules do not currently apply to a baby born from an artificial womb.

The imminence of human trials means that artificial womb technology will become available within the present political and social climate. It could help alleviate politically charged issues about reproduction such as declining birthrates and overseas surrogacy arrangements (see BioNews 1208), as it would allow humans to be created without requiring the reproductive labour of women's bodies. Commercial applications of this technology may also be desirable, such as growing livestock for farmers.

Artificial wombs also raise ethical questions. Concerns have been expressed about the initial safety of artificial wombs because of the difficulties of moving from animal trials to human trials, and there are fears that babies will be negatively affected if they are grown 'without a mother's touch'. Legal systems may also have to consider whether limits should be placed on the number of children that can be born using this technology (or other reproductive methods) after a surrogacy agency in Georgia received requests from parents who wanted up to 1000 babies, Unreported World reported.

The availability of artificial wombs for humans is imminent, and this technology will fundamentally impact society over the next few decades in many ways – from changing the landscape of reproduction, to altering social attitudes about gender roles.

PET will be holding a free-to-attend online event on 20 November 2024 to mark ten years since the first live birth following a womb transplant, with speakers including Professor Mats Brännström (who led the medical team responsible for that achievement).

Find out more and register to attend here.