Ectogenesis

Every year, 15 million babies are born too soon, with complications of prematurity claiming 1 million lives. At the same time, roughly 300 000 women die from pregnancy-related causes.

An artificial womb could one day carry a pregnancy from the embryo to full term, sparing mothers life-threatening complications and solving prematurity.

Yet ectogenesis is still more concept than field: there is no institutional support, no research coordination, and no dedicated funding—until now.

The Black Box of Ectogenesis

Artificial wombs can be defined as devices enabling ectogenesis, or gestation outside the body.

Partial artificial wombs already exist and are widely used. They cover both the early and late stages of the gestational period.

Early ectogenesis

In vitro fertilization (IVF), extended embryo culture

Black Box

Weeks 4 - 22 in gestational age

Late ectogenesis

Extra-uterine environment, artificial placenta, extracorporeal life support

On one end of the gestational period, embryos formed through IVF can be cultured for up to 4 weeks in gestational age. On the other end, babies born as early as 22-26 weeks of pregnancy can be supported in neonatal incubators and intensive care units (NICUs), with ongoing research aimed at extending this threshold of viability and improving outcomes.

The 18-week span between weeks 4 and 22 is the black box of ectogenesis. Closing this window would enable complete ectogenesis.

The case for artificial wombs

  • Prematurity is the single largest killer of infants: 15 million babies are born early each year and nearly 1 million die from complications.

    An artificial womb could carry a fetus safely through the “gray zone” before 22–24 weeks, giving fragile lungs and brains the extra time they need to mature and slashing disability rates for the survivors.

  • Pregnancy is a uniquely vulnerable period in a woman's life, with over 300,000 dying annually from conditions like pre-eclampsia, hemorrhage, and infection.

    By transferring life support to an external system, physicians can treat the mother first without jeopardizing her baby's well-being, whether that means cancer therapy, optimal epilepsy drugs, or avoiding dangerous obstetric complications.

  • About 15% of couples face infertility, often rooted in uterine complications like scarring, fibroids, or endometrial receptivity issues (themselves influenced by pH, hormones, and immune factors among other variables).

    An artificial womb provides a precisely controlled environment for implantation and gestation to significantly reduce early pregnancy loss.

  • Natural pregnancy faces formidable challenges in space like radiation, microgravity, and limited medical care.

    A artificial womb shields embryos and fetuses from environmental disruptors, enabling healthy gestation during long-term missions. It’s a critical step toward sustaining human life beyond Earth.

References

  1. World Health Organization. (2023, May 10). Preterm birth (Fact sheet). https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/preterm-birth

  2. Ritchie, H., & Roser, M. (2024). Maternal mortality. Our World in Data. https://ourworldindata.org/maternal-mortality

  3. Dow, K. (2019). Looking into the test tube: The birth of IVF on British television. Medical History, 63(2), 189–208. https://doi.org/10.1017/mdh.2019.6

  4. NYU Langone Health. (n.d.). In vitro fertilization. https://nyulangone.org/locations/fertility-center/in-vitro-fertilization-egg-freezing-embryo-banking/in-vitro-fertilization

  5. Triggle, B. N. (2019, October 23). Babies born at 22 weeks “can now survive”. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/health-50144741

  6. Shahbazi, M. N., Jedrusik, A., Vuoristo, S., Recher, G., Hupalowska, A., Bolton, V., Fogarty, N. M., Campbell, A., Devito, L. G., Ilic, D., Khalaf, Y., Niakan, K. K., Fishel, S., & Zernicka-Goetz, M. (2016). Self-organization of the human embryo in the absence of maternal tissues. Nature Cell Biology, 18(6), 700–708. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncb3347

  7. Partridge, E. A., Davey, M. G., Hornick, M. A., McGovern, P. E., Mejaddam, A. Y., Vrecenak, J. D., Mesas-Burgos, C., Olive, A., Caskey, R. C., Weiland, T. R., Han, J., Schupper, A. J., Connelly, J. T., Dysart, K. C., Rychik, J., Hedrick, H. L., Peranteau, W. H., & Flake, A. W. (2017). An extra-uterine system to physiologically support the extreme premature lamb. Nature Communications, 8(1), Article 15112. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms15112

  8. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024, January 19). FastStats: Infertility. National Center for Health Statistics. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/infertility.htm

  9. Jain, V., De Sousa Lopes, S. M. C., Benotmane, M. A., Verratti, V., Mitchell, R. T., & Stukenborg, J. B. (2023). Human development and reproduction in space—A European perspective. NPJ Microgravity, 9(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41526-023-00272-5