Athens woman gives birth to baby from embryo frozen for 22 years

A 54-year-old woman in Athens, Greece, has given birth to a healthy baby girl using an embryo that had been cryopreserved for over 22 years. The embryo was frozen on March 17, 2004, and transferred on December 23, 2025, at the Genesis Athens clinic. Medical experts state that the duration of 22 years, 5 months, and 23 days represents the longest documented period of cryopreservation leading to a live birth in published medical literature, surpassing previous records in Japan and Israel.

The birth carries significant emotional weight for the family. In 2004, the mother, Christina Rapti-Tzelepi, used IVF to have a son. Following the tragic death of her 21-year-old son in a car accident in October 2025, the couple decided to utilize the remaining frozen embryos from their original treatment.

Because 54 is the legal age limit for assisted reproduction in Greece, the family had to complete the medical procedures and obtain necessary authorization from the National Authority for Assisted Reproduction within a strict timeframe. The medical team plans to submit the clinical and laboratory data from this case to international scientific journals.