The child developed from an embryo donated in 1994 and kept for 11,148 days – what’s believed to be the longest storage time before a birth
A baby boy born last week to a US couple developed from an embryo that had been frozen for more than 30 years in what is believed to be the longest storage time before a birth.
In what’s known as embryo adoption, Lindsey and Tim Pierce used a handful of donated embryos that have been frozen since 1994 in pursuit of having a child after fighting infertility for years. Their son was born on Saturday from an embryo that had been in storage for 11,148 days, which the Pierces’ doctor says sets a record.
It is a concept that has been around since the 1990s but is gaining traction as some fertility clinics and advocates, often Christian-centred, oppose discarding leftover embryos because of their belief that life begins at or around conception and that all embryos deserve to be treated like children who need a home.
“I felt all along that these three little hopes, these little embryos, deserved to live just like my daughter did,” said Linda Archerd, 62, who donated her embryos to the Pierces.
