World's First Artificial Womb Facility: Parents Can Pick The Baby’s Features!

The world's first-ever 'artificial womb factory' is set to carry a baby to a full term in a birth pod. There are a number of characteristics that the technology promises to let parents pick from, such as eye colour, height, and strength, of their baby.

It was developed by Hashem Al-Ghaili of Berlin, a producer, filmmaker, science communicator, and "molecular biologist by trade".

The biotechnologist who is behind this futuristic plan at the womb factory called ECTOLIFE says the device would allow infertile couples to conceive a baby and become the true biological parents of their own children [1].

What Is The Artificial Womb Facility?

Al-Ghaili states that EctoLife is based on over fifty years of "groundbreaking scientific research" by researchers around the world.

Features of artificial womb facility

According to reports, the facility will house 75 labs, each equipped with up to 400 growth pods or artificial wombs, and run on renewable energy.

Pods of this type are designed to replicate the environment inside a mother's womb.

The pods feature a screen that displays real-time data that allows parents to monitor their child's growth and development.

In addition, this data can be viewed via an app on the phone. At the time of delivery, the baby can be removed from the pod using a button.

Mirror.co.uk quoted Al-Ghaili as saying: "The artificial intelligence system also monitors your child's physical characteristics and reports any potential genetic abnormalities" [2].

The Future Of Artificial Babies?

Al-Ghaili believes that artificial womb facilities could become a reality in ten years or so if ethical restrictions are removed. Researchers have attempted several times over the past 20 years to encourage human gestation outside of the womb, but they have largely failed. There remains a profound mystery surrounding the interaction between a mother and foetus [3].

Infants born extremely premature face a number of challenges in adjusting to life outside the uterus, including undeveloped lungs, specific nutritional requirements (they may require up to 50 percent more calories for growth and development than full-term infants), neurodevelopmental challenges, and a constant risk of infection when adjusting to life outside the uterus [4][5].

In an ideal world, an artificial womb would provide a controlled environment that minimizes energy loss and supports growth, limits exposure to bacteria and fungi, and minimises risks associated with infection.