Science & Technology

Embryo born after being frozen for 24 years

By T.K. Randall
December 21, 2017 ·  12 comments

The child was conceived decades ago. Image Credit: sxc.hu The embryo, which was originally donated by a family in the US, was eventually transferred to the uturus of Tina Gibson where it would later become Emma Wren Gibson - a healthy baby girl.

In a peculiar twist, Tina herself was only 25 at the time - meaning that she was born within twelve months of her own daughter's conception.

"This embryo and I could have been best friends," she said. "Emma is such a sweet miracle."Doctors call fertilized embryos of this age 'snow babies' due to how long they have been frozen.

In this case the embryo was supplied by the National Embryo Donation Center which encourages couples to donate embryos once their family is complete to help other couples become parents.

It remains unclear just how long an embryo can remain viable while frozen in this way, however a women giving birth to an embryo much older than herself may soon become a distinct possibility.

Source: BBC News | Comments (12)

Tags: Embryo, Baby