A 24-year-old woman in London has become the first woman to give birth to a baby after having one of her ovaries frozen before puberty. Moaza Al Matrooshi, who hails from Dubai, was facing infertility issues as a result of her cancer treatment.
Matrooshi was born with an inherited blood disorder called beta thalassaemia which can be fatal if left untreated. She had to undergo chemotherapy before receiving a bone marrow transplant from her brother at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, reports BBC.
As the treatment causes damage to ovaries, Matrooshi’s right ovary was removed in an operation when she was just nine years old and later frozen. Parts of her ovarian tissue were mixed with cryo-protective agents and cooled to minus 196C before being preserved in liquid nitrogen.
Last year surgeons in Denmark transplanted parts of her ovarian tissue back to her body. Even though she was menopausal before the surgery, her hormone levels returned to normal later and she began ovulating again. The couple were able to have a baby boy via IVF treatment.
