FDA Discussing Artificial Wombs for Premature Babies

FDA advisers are discussing the possibility of creating artificial wombs to improve the survival chances of extremely premature babies and reduce long-term health problems.
Currently, no such device has been tested in humans, but similar ones have been used successfully in animal studies.
Preterm births are the leading cause of death in children under 5, with premature babies at risk of various health issues.
An artificial womb could assist infants born before 28 weeks of pregnancy, which is considered extreme prematurity, to develop further during critical stages of lung and brain development.
The FDA's Pediatric Advisory Committee is evaluating the ethical and regulatory considerations and what data would be required for human trials.
While experts see potential in artificial womb technology, there are ethical, regulatory, and viability considerations to address before widespread use.