Lamb born in plastic ‘womb’ could help save premature babies’ lives

An ‘artificial womb’ has been developed that could soon be used to keep extremely premature babies alive.

The device, which incorporates a plastic bag filled with artificial nutrient-rich amniotic fluid, has successfully been tested on foetal lambs equivalent in age to 23-week-old human infants.

Scientists believe it could be ready for human trials in three to five years.

But they stress there is no question of using the system to replace a mother’s womb at earlier stages of development, raising fears of sci-fi technology that could spell the end of pregnancy.

Unlike conventional incubators, the ‘extra-uterine support device’ closely reproduces conditions in a real womb.

The infant’s own heart circulates blood through the umbilical cord into an external gas-exchange machine taking the place of the mother’s placenta.