Woman becomes first in the world to give birth to a baby after having her ovary frozen as a child
Moaza Al Matrooshi had an ovary frozen when she was eight, after being born with an inherited blood disorder that is fatal if it's not treated with chemotherapy, which damages the ovaries
A WOMAN has become the first in the world to give birth after having an ovary frozen before the onset of puberty.
Doctors in England helped restore Moaza Al Matrooshi’s fertility using ovarian tissue that was removed when she just eight-years-old.
Speaking after her son was delivered at the private Portland Hospital, in West London, on Monday she said: “It’s like a miracle.
“We’ve been waiting so long for this result - a healthy baby.”
Doctors say it will give hope to many other girls and young women who risk losing the chance of motherhood as a result of treatment for cancer, blood or immune disorders.
Moaza, now 24, and from Dubai, was born with beta thalassaemia, an inherited blood disorder that is fatal if untreated.
She needed chemotherapy, which damages the ovaries, before receiving a bone marrow transplant from her brother at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London.
But she had not entered puberty and was therefore unable to have IVF treatment, allowing her ovaries to produce eggs which could be frozen.
Instead, aged just eight, she had her right ovary removed in an operation in Leeds, where the tissue was frozen.
It’s like a miracle. We’ve been waiting so long for this result - a healthy baby
Moaza Al Matrooshi
Fragments of her ovarian tissue were slowly reduced in temperature to minus 196C, before being stored under liquid nitrogen.
At the age of 21, Moaza suffered an early menopause because her remaining ovary was only partially functioning following the toxic treatment.
But surgeons in Denmark transplanted five slivers of the ovarian tissue back into her body last year – and her hormone levels began returning to normal.
She began ovulating and her fertility was restored.
In order to maximise the chances of having a child, Moaza and her husband Ahmed underwent IVF treatment at fertility clinic CARE London.
From the eight eggs that were collected, three embryos were produced, two of which were implanted earlier this year.
Moaza said: “I always believed that I would be a mum and that I would have a baby.
“I didn't stop hoping and now I have this baby - it is a perfect feeling.”
She also thanked her mother, whose idea it was to save her young daughter’s ovarian tissue so that she might be able to have a family in the future.
Dr Sara Matthews, who conducted the fertility treatment, said she was overjoyed for the family and delighted by the hope it offered to others.
Related Stories
The consultant gynaecologist added: “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.
“Within three months of re-implanting her ovarian tissue, Moaza went from being menopausal to having regular periods again.
“She basically became a normal woman in her 20s with normal ovary function.”
Rob Smith, Clinic Director of CARE London, said: “This birth represents a landmark in fertility preservation treatment for young girls who risk irreversible ovarian damage following necessary treatments for diseases such as cancer.
“Moaza has become the first woman in the world to give birth following the transplant of her own ovarian tissue removed before puberty. It’s a significant event, which should be celebrated.
“Moaza’s story is one of success and a beacon of hope to all women who face the prospect of infertility due to invasive treatments at a young age.”
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
Dr Sara Matthews
Professor Helen Picton, who froze the ovaries, said: “This is incredibly encouraging.
“Moaza is a pioneer and was one of the first patients we helped back in 2001, before any baby had been born from ovary tissue preservation.
“Worldwide more than 60 babies have been born from women who had their fertility restored, but Moaza is the first case from pre-pubertal freezing and the first from a patient who had treatment for beta thalassaemia.”
Professor Picton said that in Europe alone, several thousand girls and young women now had frozen ovarian tissue in storage.
This is usually done prior to patients receiving chemotherapy or radiation treatment, both of which damage fertility.
Moaza still has one embryo in storage as well as two remaining pieces of ovarian tissue.
She said she definitely plans to have another baby in the future.
Earlier this year a cancer patient from Edinburgh became the first UK woman to give birth following a transplant of her frozen ovary tissue.