A Greek couple welcomed a baby from an embryo frozen for more than 22 years, a duration their medical team says is the longest documented in the medical literature. The decision came while in grief after they lost their 22-year old son in a car crash.
Christina Rapti-Tzelepi and her husband decided to pursue a second round of in vitro fertilization (IVF) while in the depths of their grief. With the help of gynecologist Konstantinos Pantos, the mother gave birth to a perfectly healthy baby girl using an embryo that had been frozen for over 22 years.
The healthy girl born in an Athens hospital weighed in at 3.49 kilograms (7 pounds, 11 ounces).
“Twenty-two years ago, we succeeded on our first attempt—thanks to Mr. Pantos—and had a healthy baby boy. We still had fertilized embryos after twenty-two and a half years. Following the tragic loss of our son, we decided to have a second child; however, we didn’t have time to fully grieve before proceeding, due to pressure regarding the legal framework. Once again, we achieved a miracle on the first try—a little baby girl—thanks to Mr. Pantos,” the child’s mother said, speaking on MEGA television.
“It began with the loss of our son, and amidst the darkness, we decided to find a solution ourselves. Mr. Pantos led us from darkness into the light; in short, he is the man who made our dream come true,” the father, Konstantinos Raptis, said.
The Greek legal framework for IVF
As Mrs. Rapti-Tzelepi noted, she faced difficulties due to Greece’s strict legal framework, which permits IVF for women only up to the age of 55.
“It was a very difficult decision because we had to decide quickly,” she said. “We were in mourning; a pall had fallen over our home. We had suddenly lost our child. Yet, we decided to give it a second chance—not to give up. We were simply under great pressure from the legal framework.”
“I turned 54 in August. I made it just in the nick of time. I have more fertilized embryos and would like to have more children—now that science and Mr. Pantos can guarantee safety—but the committee has set a limit based solely on a number. There are capable women who want this very much. I appeal for this system to change so that thousands of women can have children, especially given the serious demographic problem our country is facing.”
The baby girl Mrs. Rapti-Tzelepi gave birth to set a world record, as the longest recorded duration of IVF embryo freezing leading to a successful pregnancy had previously been 18 years in Japan, according to gynecologist Dr. Konstantinos Pantos, who is head of the Hellenic Society of Reproductive Medicine.
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