First baby born in the UK after womb transplant from deceased donor

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A baby boy named Hugo Richard Norman Powell has become the first child in the UK born to a mother who received a womb transplant from a deceased donor.

The birth, which took place in December 2025 at Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea Hospital in London, was announced as a major medical milestone on February 24, 2026.

Key Details of the Breakthrough

The Mother: Grace Bell, an IT programme manager from Kent, was born with Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser (MRKH) syndrome, a rare condition that meant she was born without a functioning womb.

 The 10-hour transplant operation was performed in June 2024 at the Churchill Hospital in Oxford. It was led by consultant surgeons Miss Isabel Quiroga and Professor Richard Smith.

Hugo was delivered via Caesarean section, weighing 6lb 13oz (3.1kg). He is the second baby born via womb transplant in the UK, following the birth of baby Amy in early 2025 from a living donor.  The womb came from a deceased donor whose family provided the special extra consent required for womb donation, which is not covered by the standard "opt-out" organ donor register.

Scientific Context: This is only the third case of its kind reported in Europe. Worldwide, there have been roughly 100 womb transplants resulting in more than 70 live births.

The transplant was part of a clinical trial funded by the charity Womb Transplant UK, which aims to provide an alternative to surrogacy or adoption for women with uterine factor infertility.