Baby Emma is born from an embryo frozen in 1992
Miracle birth a ‘world record’ nearly 25 years in the making
WHEN Tina and Benjamin Gibson married, they knew that it was unlikely they would naturally have children, given Mr Gibson’s cystic fibrosis.
But now Ms Gibson (26) has given birth to a daughter, Emma – born from an embryo that was frozen more than 24 years ago, a new world record.
“I was like ‘wow’, if this embryo had been born when it was supposed to have been, we could have been best friends’,” she said.
The Tennessee couple had fostered children and mulled over the idea of adoption, before they were made aware of embryo freezing.
Ms Gibson had submitted the paperwork for embryo adoption in August 2016, meaning that she would be impregnated with an embryo donated by another couple following their own fertilisation treatment.
Around 20pc of in vitro fertilisations (IVF) result in leftover eggs, leaving the couples involved with three options: they can have them disposed of, donated for research, or donated to another couple. Eggs donated to other couples can wait in frozen suspension for years before being chosen and are colloquially known as “snow babies”.
After undergoing a series of tests and gaining state approval for the adoption, the couple spent two weeks reading through the profiles of 300 donors to decide on a match. The couple’s first choice was not a viable match so they moved on to their second choice.
Three eggs from an anonymous donor were transferred to Ms Gibson and one implanted, resulting in her pregnancy. It was then doctors informed them that they had made a potentially record-breaking selection.
“People say, ‘oh it’s science,’ but no I think it’s a gift from the Lord,” she said.
The National Embryo Donation Centre (NEDC) in the Tennessee city of Knoxville, which enabled Ms Gibson’s pregnancy, said that their newborn daughter holds the record for the longest-frozen embryo to come to birth.
The embryo was frozen on October 14, 1992, when Ms Gibson was about 18 months old. It was thawed on March 13, 2017, making it 24 years old. Ms Gibson said: “Twenty four-and-a-half years ago God knew she was going to be part of our family, and I tear up thinking about it as she is just such a blessing.”
Experts pointed out that was impossible to verify whether the Gibson family it does indeed hold the record.
Zaher Merhi, director of IVF research and development at New Hope Fertility Centre in New York, told CNN that companies are not required to report the age of the embryos they transfer, just the outcome of the pregnancies. “Nobody has these records,” he said.
Some experts say the previous record was set in 2011, when a boy was born from a frozen embryo created 20 years earlier.
But regardless of the historical significance, the Gibson family were filled with joy. “I don’t care if it’s a world record or not,” said Ms Gibson. Her husband added: “Emma is such a sweet miracle. I think she looks pretty perfect to have been frozen all those years ago.”
If this embryo had been born when it was supposed to have been, we could have been best friends