World’s first baby born after transplant of ovarian tissue frozen before puberty at age 9.

 Moaza Al Matrooshi from Dubai, becomes the first woman to give birth to a healthy baby boy after transplant of her ovarian tissue  that was frozen prepubescent at age 9.

Over 60 children have been born to women who have undergone ovarian tissue transplants worldwide, but all these patients were adults when the ovarian tissue was preserved.

She is at present 24 and the frozen ovarian tissue was replanted about a year back.  Moaza was born with beta thalassemia and needed bone marrow transplant to save her life.

She had to have chemotherapy before she was set to receive bone marrow transplant. Her right ovary was removed cut into strips, frozen, and stored at a hospital in Leeds. It was mixed with cryoprotective agent and stored at -196 C in liquid nitrogen.

Moaza received the chemotherapy and bone marrow transplant, but attained a premature menopause at 20 years of age due to chemotoxicity.

About a year back surgeons in Denmark replanted five strips of the ovarian tissue back into her body - four were stitched on to her failed left ovary and one on to the side of her uterus.

The ovarian tissue gained blood supply and started functioning as was evident from rising hormonal levels and evidence of ovulation. Moaza underwent IVF to maximize the chances of conception.

Two embryos were transplanted resulting in the birth of healthy baby boy on Tuesday, December 15 in London at the Portland Hospital for Women and Children. 

Moaza Al Matrooshi with her husband and baby boy: JOE MILES / AFP/GETTY IMAGES

The medical community was overjoyed and celebrated the birth of the boy as it paved the way to restoring fertility to women who receive chemotherapy at an early age. Survival rates for children with cancers have reached 90%, but they get the life back and loose the fertility.

Dr. Sara Matthews who was Moaza’s obstetrician and gynecologist said "This is a huge step forward. We know that ovarian tissue transplantation works for older women, but we've never known if we could take tissue from a child, freeze it and make it work again. This is moving from an experimental technique to a practical application."

Scientists in Leeds were pioneer in performing the world's first transplant of frozen ovarian tissue back in 1999.

Last year a woman in Belgium also gave birth after transplant of her ovarian tissue removed when she was 13 years old and have entered puberty. The first woman in the world to give birth following the transplantation of her own ovarian tissue in 2004 also happened to be from Belgium.

Sources:

The mirror,UK

The Guardian

British Fertility Society

The Telegraph

American Cancer Society.