For the babies of the future and their parents, the potential benefits of assisted reproductive technology (ART) like germline editing and artificial wombs are undeniable. Which breakthroughs will prompt society to overcome traditional aversions to prenatal interventions? Safety first. Enhancement later.

The Artificial Womb Will Change Everything

Micro-term birth will become increasingly more common as synthetic blood and artificial womb technology makes early-term delivery viable. Pregnancies could be one to two terms shorter and much safer.

A fetus, for example, could be removed via C-section during the second trimester and placed into an artificial womb. A natural nine-month course will only be used for dangerous or natural births or for those who cannot afford earlyterm birth. As a result, C-section will become the number one surgical procedure in the US.

This will lead to a dramatic rise in both international and domestic surrogacy. Today, surrogacy costs an average of $100,000 to $150,000. Its popularity will increase as gestation cycles, cost and the risk of complications decrease, allowing a fertile woman to birth up to two children per year.

More than eight in ten women start breastfeeding their children after birth, but only 30% are still breastfeeding one year out. Smart breast pumps that track flow, quality and composition of milk will become a standard postpartum analysis service and revenue stream for hospitals. AI-based at-home crib tracking will alert the parent and hospital to any abnormalities in infant sleep or behavior.

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