A 54-year-old woman from the Greek capital Athens gave birth to a healthy baby girl, using an embryo obtained from the fertilization of her own egg and frozen in 2004, Greek media reported, quoted by BTA.
As the online edition of the newspaper “Ta Nea“ writes, the embryo transfer into her body was carried out on December 23, 2025 in a private clinic in Athens.
According to the scientific team involved in the entire process, 22 years, 5 months and 23 days passed from the freezing of the embryo to the birth of the child. According to the team's research, this is the longest period between the freezing of a patient's own genetic material leading to the birth of a child. The previous records were 18 years and 3 months from Japan and 17 years from Israel.
The mother, Christina Rapti-Dzelepi, gave birth to a boy after the same procedure in 2004. However, in October 2025, the family suffered a tragic loss - their son died in a car accident. At this difficult moment, Christina Rapti-Dzelepi decided to use the embryos she had frozen after her initial therapy.
The procedure was also carried out with an intensive schedule, because the mother had to complete the necessary procedures and obtain permission from the National Service for Assisted Reproduction before she turned 54.
Christina Rapti-Dzelepi's gynecologist and Secretary General of the Hellenic Society for Reproductive Medicine, Konstantinos Pandos, described the birth as an "important clinical and scientific achievement," emphasizing the importance of combining medical progress with humanity.
For the family, the birth of the baby girl marks a new beginning after a great loss. As the parents say, the newborn child does not replace the son they lost, but has brought "hope and light" back to their home.