A significant medical achievement with a particularly human dimension took place in Athens, as a 54-year-old woman gave birth to a perfectly healthy baby girl, weighing 3,490 grams, from an embryo that had been cryopreserved on March 17, 2004.
The embryo transfer took place on December 23, 2025, at a private clinic. According to the scientific team, 22 years, 5 months, and 23 days elapsed between cryopreservation and birth, “a period which, according to the team’s literature review, represents the longest internationally published duration of cryopreservation of autologous genetic material that has led to the birth of a child.
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Previously published cases involved cryopreservation for 18 years and 3 months in Japan and 17 years in Israel.”
The research team has compiled the clinical and laboratory data from this case and plans to submit them for publication in the international scientific literature.
The human dimension of the story is also remarkable. In 2004, Christina Rapti-Tzelepi gave birth to a baby boy on her first attempt following an embryo transfer.
In October 2025, however, the family lost their 21-year-old son in a car accident. Amid this difficult personal situation, Christina Rapti-Tzelepi decided to make use of the embryos that had been cryopreserved from her initial treatment.
The procedure took place within a strict timeframe, as the 54-year-old needed to complete the required procedures and obtain the necessary authorization from the National Authority for Assisted Reproduction, before reaching the age limit, which is strictly set at 54 years.
Christina Rapti-Tzelepi’s gynecologist and Secretary General of the Hellenic Society of Reproductive Medicine, Konstantinos Pantos, described the birth as “a significant clinical and scientific development,” while also emphasizing the need for medicine to combine medical standards and safety with compassion.
For the family, the baby’s birth marks a new beginning amid a period of profound loss. As the parents note, the new baby does not replace their lost son, but has brought “hope and light” back into their home.
Source: KYPE
