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An Artificial Womb Successfully Grew Baby Sheep -- and Humans Could Be Next (theverge.com)

An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Verge: Inside what look like oversized ziplock bags strewn with tubes of blood and fluid, eight fetal lambs continued to develop -- much like they would have inside their mothers. Over four weeks, their lungs and brains grew, they sprouted wool, opened their eyes, wriggled around, and learned to swallow, according to a new study that takes the first step toward an artificial womb. One day, this device could help to bring premature human babies to term outside the uterus -- but right now, it has only been tested on sheep. The Biobag may not look much like a womb, but it contains the same key parts: a clear plastic bag that encloses the fetal lamb and protects it from the outside world, like the uterus would; an electrolyte solution that bathes the lamb similarly to the amniotic fluid in the uterus; and a way for the fetus to circulate its blood and exchange carbon dioxide for oxygen. Flake and his colleagues published their results today in the journal Nature Communications.

3 of 188 comments (clear)

  1. In related news... by Gravis+Zero · · Score: 5, Funny

    Veal is about to get a whole lot fresher! ;)

    --
    Anons need not reply. Questions end with a question mark.
  2. Begs the question by SuperKendall · · Score: 4, Funny

    *Should* humans be used to bring sheep fetuses to term, or should they continue using the artificial wombs?

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
  3. Please please tell me... by Traf-O-Data-Hater · · Score: 3, Funny

    ...there is an observation port built into the device.

    Then it would be a womb with a view.