Medical Breakthrough: First womb-transplant baby born

A woman in Sweden has given birth to a baby boy using a transplanted womb, in a medical first, doctors report.

The 36 year-old mother, who was born without a uterus, received a donated womb from a friend in her 60s.

The British medical journal The Lancet says the baby was born prematurely in September weighing 1.8kg (3.9lb). The father said his son was "amazing"

Cancer treatment and birth defects are the main reasons women can be left without a functioning womb.

If they want a child of their own, their only option is surrogacy.

The identity of the couple in Sweden has not been released, but it is known the mother still had functioning ovaries.

The couple went through IVF to produce 11 embryos, which were frozen. Doctors at the University of Gothenburg then performed the womb transplant.

The donor was a 61-year-old family friend who had gone through the menopause seven years earlier.

Drugs to suppress the immune system were needed to prevent the womb being rejected.

A year after the transplant, doctors decided they were ready to implant one of the frozen embryos and a pregnancy ensued.

The baby was born prematurely, almost 32 weeks into the pregnancy, after the mother developed pre-eclampsia and the baby's heart rate became abnormal.

Both baby and mum are now said to be doing well.

In an anonymous interview with the AP news agency, the father said: "It was a pretty tough journey over the years, but we now have the most amazing baby.

"He's no different from any other child, but he will have a good story to tell.''

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Jose Mourinho believes Cesc Fabregas already love Chelsea... ahead facing former club 'Arsenal'

Jose Mourinho believes Cesc Fabregas can have both Chelsea and Arsenal in his heart as the midfielder prepares to face his former side.

Fabregas signed for Chelsea after three years at Barcelona, despite a rumoured clause which gave the first option to Arsenal, where he played from 2003 to 2011, making 303 appearances and scoring 57 goals under Gunners boss Arsene Wenger.

The 27-year-old Spain playmaker has thrived on his Premier League return and next plays against Arsenal in Sunday's contest between the only remaining unbeaten teams in the league.

"I think he loves Chelsea already,'' Blues boss Mourinho said. "He's so happy: the way he plays, the way he's a member of the squad, the way he lives in this little blue village.

"It is like he's (been) here for a long time. If you ask him now if he regrets the move, I'm sure he'd say no. If you ask him if he'd choose a different option, he'd say no. And if you ask him where he thinks he'll be in five years' time, he will say Chelsea.

"He is Chelsea. He is completely committed to Chelsea. And he likes Chelsea very, very much. One thing is that and another thing is to forget the past. I'm happy he doesn't forget the past.''

Mourinho is adamant Fabregas remembers fondly the club he joined aged 16.

The Portuguese added: "I wouldn't be happy if he came here saying he didn't care about Arsenal. Many times, when (players) say that, it's not true. If it's true, it's also not good. He'll never lose his respect and his connection with a club where he arrived as a kid and left as a top player.

"He doesn't forget Arsenal, he doesn't forget the time he spent there, he doesn't forget the contribution Arsenal made in his fantastic career, and that deserves a place in his memory and his heart. For me, the approach is correct.

"The fact he's giving everything to Chelsea with such professionalism and enthusiasm is exactly what we want of him.''

During his first spell at Chelsea and his time at Real Madrid, Mourinho never imagined Fabregas would come under his charge.

"I was at Chelsea, he was at Arsenal -- a rival,'' Mourinho said. "I was at Real, he was at Barcelona - a rival. It never looked possible that he would become my player. I never thought about it.''

When the possibility arose, Mourinho moved swiftly for a player with supreme talents. He promised Fabregas he would be the central figure in the team and not one on the periphery, like he was at times in Barcelona, where he played on the wings and as a 'false nine' forward

"I wanted him because I know the player he is,'' Mourinho added. "And I know he was good for the philosophy we wanted for the team.

"I knew that he's one of not many players who can play as a No. 8 or a No. 10, so gives me possibilities to play him in both positions and build a midfield knowing that.

"This, plus the fact that he was made in England and played for so many years in English football. That's a plus. He doesn't need that adaptation. He comes back 'home'. We knew he was the perfect for us. We tried. We tried hard, and we got (him).''

Mourinho is not concerned whether Fabregas celebrates scoring against the Gunners, pointing to his own inner feeling of happiness when his Inter Milan side beat Chelsea in the Champions League in 2010.

"He should score, celebrate or not -- I don't care,'' Mourinho said. "When my team scored against Chelsea and my team did three times, two in Milan and one at Stamford Bridge, I didn't celebrate. I was happy, you can't imagine how happy I was.

"Not celebrating is nice. Show some respect.''

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You may soon have your chance of breathing underwater: Some Scientists developed a crystalline material that could absorb oxygen from the surrounding environment, be it in water or land

A group of scientists from the University of Southern Denmark have developed a crystalline material that absorbs oxygen from the surrounding environment, both water and air, and stores it for future use.

The aptly named "Aquaman Crystal" uses cobalt to work its magic, and it doesn't need a lot — just a few grains provides enough oxygen for the first breath. As the research team notes, because the material can continually absorb oxygen from the water, a diver would only need to bring a tiny amount underwater in order to breathe without a tank. 
"It is also interesting that the material can absorb and release oxygen many times without losing the ability," said Christine McKenzie, one of the scientists involved with the project. "It is like dipping a sponge in water, squeezing the water out of it and repeating the process over and over again."

It has uses beyond diving, too. The scientists note that the material can also be used to help lung patients who breathe with the help of an oxygen tank. 

"When the substance is saturated with oxygen, it can be compared to an oxygen tank containing pure oxygen under pressure — the difference is that this material can hold three times as much oxygen," McKenzie said. 

Oxygen tanks are bulky and heavy, and though there are smaller ones for use outside the home, they're still an inconvenience for those who need them to breathe properly. 

The atmospheric oxygen content, temperature and pressure all affect the time required for the material to absorb oxygen; it can take mere seconds or up to a few days to work. But the university emphasizes that its potential uses are myriad — cars that use fuel cells, for example, need a regulated oxygen supply.

Though there's no set timeline for the material to be converted for commercial use, the possibility is nevertheless exciting. Get ready to make like Aquaman, everyone.

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La Liga: Cristiano Ronaldo remains a doubt for Real Madrid's clash with Athletic Bilbao

Cristiano Ronaldo remains a doubt for Real Madrid's La Liga game against Athletic Bilbao on Sunday evening at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu.

Ronaldo, 29, suffered some tough treatment from his markers during Wednesday's 2-1 Champions League win at Ludogorets, receiving medical attention late in the game after being kicked in the back of his lower right leg by the Bulgarian side's Madagascar international Anicet Abel.

Blancos coach Carlo Ancelotti played down the incident after the game, telling his postmatch news conference that "it was a painful knock, but nothing serious."

However, Ronaldo himself told reporters in the stadium's mixed zone that he did not appreciate being kicked from behind in such a painful area.

This immediately led to fears that Madrid could be without their top scorer -- who has 10 goals in his first five La Liga appearances of the season -- for Sunday's game against Athletic.

However, fears were eased when the Portugal captain was named in his country's squad for their upcoming friendly against France and Euro 2016 qualifier against Denmark.

A Madrid club statement released on Friday revealed that Ronaldo had yet to return to full training with his teammates, while also saying that Gareth Bale and Fabio Coentrao had not taken part in Friday's morning session.

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