Greek Woman, 54, Gives Birth Using Embryo Frozen For 22 Years After Losing Son In Road Crash

Embryos can remain cryopreserved for extended periods when stored under appropriate conditions, although successful births from embryos frozen for such a long time remain relatively uncommon.

13 Sep 2026, 07:09 · NDTV

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A 54-year-old Greek woman gave birth using an embryo frozen for over 22 years
The couple sought IVF approval due to Greece's age limit of 54 for treatment
The baby girl was born in Athens weighing 3.49 kg and named Georgia

How long can frozen embryos theoretically remain viable for pregnancy?

A 54-year-old Greek woman has given birth to a baby girl using an embryo that had been frozen for more than 22 years, in a race against Greece's age limit for IVF treatment. Cristina Rapti-Tzelepi and her husband, Constantinos Raptis, 60, decided to try for another child several months after their 21-year-old son, Giorgos, died in a road accident last October.

The couple chose to use one of the embryos they had previously had cryopreserved. However, they were up against Greece's rules, which generally prevent women over the age of 54 from undergoing IVF. Since Rapti-Tzelepi was approaching the age limit, the couple had to obtain approval from the country's national reproductive medicine authority.

Rapti-Tzelepi eventually gave birth to a baby girl at a hospital in Athens on Wednesday, September 9. The newborn weighed 3.49 kg.

The couple named their daughter Georgia, in memory of their late son Giorgos, who had also been born through IVF.

"We decided to give life a second chance, to make a new start, bring new life into our home and keep our family's story going," she said.

"My wish for her is to grow up healthy and happy, full of joy like our first child, who filled our home with laughter."

The birth is notable because the embryo used in the pregnancy had been frozen for more than two decades. Embryos can remain cryopreserved for extended periods when stored under appropriate conditions, although successful births from embryos frozen for such a long time remain relatively uncommon.

The case comes after another long-frozen embryo made headlines last year. An Ohio couple welcomed a baby boy through embryo adoption using an embryo that had been frozen for more than 30 years, a milestone recognised by Guinness World Records.

The Greek case has also reignited discussion around the country's age restrictions on IVF. Kostas Pantos, Rapti-Tzelepi's gynaecologist and head of the Hellenic Society of Reproductive Medicine, said the rules may need to be reconsidered, particularly as Greece faces a declining birth rate.

Under the current regulations, women can undergo IVF only until the age of 54. Pantos has argued that the restriction is too strict and that the law should be reviewed.

"The law is very strict: 54 plus one day is not allowed. Maybe it's time for it to change," said Dr Pantos.

"I think it's a right (parents) should not be deprived of."

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