For babies born way too early, the challenges are huge. Their lungs are not well developed, their skin is very fragile and they are far from ready to face the outside world.
A research project at the Women and Infants Research Foundation (WIRF) is working on trying to help those babies through building an artificial placenta.
The technology would allow babies to keep getting nutrients and oxygen in the same way they would in the uterus, essentially allowing them to grow and develop further before they have to face the challenges of eating and breathing for themselves.
Read the article written by Emma Wynne and featured on ABC Perth online news on 18 July 2026.
