Baby Born From 16-year-old Frozen Embryo

According to news report, a 46-year-old woman at a hospital in Guangzhou has given birth to a healthy baby boy from an embryo that had been frozen 16 years ago.

Her first son, already 16 years old, was born from the same batch of embryo frozen in 2000. This woman gave birth to her first child through IVF(In Vitro Fertilisation) in 2000, when the hospital frozen her 18 other embryos. She went to the hospital asking to get pregnant again last year, after China relaxed its one-child policy.

Now, both the baby and mom are doing well and will be discharged from hospital soon.

With the end of the one-child policy, there is a huge demand for second babies among Chinese woman, especially for those of advanced maternal age. A doctor said, “An increasing number of older women have visited hospital and tried to get pregnant with the help of assisted reproductive technology.” But she added that the risks were also high for women of advanced maternal age, so they’re not encouraged to give birth at all.

Risks of Advanced Maternal Age

1. Increased risk of down syndrome---the most common chromosomal birth defect;

2. Increased risk of miscarriage;

   20% increase at ages 35~39;

   35% increase at ages 40~44;

   Over 50% increase by age 45.

3. Increased risk of cesarean section(C-section) for delivery;

4. Pregnancy induced hypertension---high blood pressure;

5. Placental problem---Placenta previa in which the placenta covers all or part of the uterine cervix is one of the most common placental problem.

For more information: Baby Born From 16-year-old Frozen Embryo.