Molly Gibson, about a two-month-old baby, is only two years younger than her mother. Yes, you read it right. With the advancement of science, every day we get to see new wonders. And regardless of how strange and amusing it sounds, it is true technically.
The baby has come into the world from a frozen embryo—a 27-years-old for that matter. A couple in Tennessee, US adopted the embryo and successfully brought the baby into this world in October 2020. A record has been set in this regard.
In fact, Molly has broken the record of her three-year-old sister Emma, who also came into this world from the oldest frozen embryo. Both babies are genetic siblings and came from embryos donated in 1992.
Their parents, Ben and Tina Gibson remained childless for five years until they learned about embryo adoption. “We’re over the moon,” says Ms. Gibson, 29. “If you would have asked me five years ago if I would have not just one girl, but two, I would have said you were crazy.”
During IVF, sometimes the embryos are frozen for later use. It happens when the couples have embryos remaining but decide their family is complete. It gives other couples, who are unable to conceive, to have a chance at being parents. According to the National Embryo Donation Center (NEDC), around one million frozen embryos are stored in the US. Frozen embryos have an unlimited shelf life. However, time is limited by technology.
Embryos are put in a cryogenic freezer and thawed when they are to be placed n the uterus of the potential mother. While the embryo adopted by the Tennessee couple has set the record for the longest-frozen embryo, experts are hopeful an embryo may remain frozen for 30 years and even more without any trouble.
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