Woman has IVF birth from 22-year-old embryo

ATHENS, Greece (AFP) — A Greek woman has given birth from an embryo frozen over 22 years ago, months after her son born from the same treatment in 2004 died in an accident, her doctor said Wednesday.

“For Christina Rapti Tzelepi, today’s birth carries special emotional significance,” gynecologist Konstantinos Pantos said in a Facebook post.

“In 2004, after an embryo transfer, she had a healthy baby boy on the first attempt. In October 2025, the family experienced the tragic loss of their son in a road traffic accident at the age of 21,” Pantos said.

Rapti-Tzelepi is 54, the maximum allowed age in Greece for in vitro fertilization.

She gave birth to a baby girl on Wednesday following the transfer in December of an embryo from the same initial batch, Pantos said.

“There was mourning and joy involved, but everything disappeared this morning when we held our beauty in our arms,” Rapti-Tzelepi told state TV ERT.