Greek woman gives birth to baby from embryo frozen for 22 years

A Greek woman has given birth to a baby from an embryo that was frozen after in vitro fertilization (IVF) 22 years ago, months after the death of her son, who was born using the same technique in 2004.

Gynecologist Konstantinos Pantos revealed that “in 2004, after the embryo transfer, Christina Rapeti-Tzilepi gave birth to a healthy boy on the first attempt. In October 2025, the family lost their son in a tragic road accident at the age of 21.”

Christina Rapeti-Tzilepi is 54 years old, which is the maximum age for undergoing IVF in Greece. She gave birth to a baby on Wednesday after an embryo was transferred to her uterus in December, from a group of embryos created through IVF in 2004.

Greek data from 2025 show that birth rates have been declining for years. However, they also indicate a rise in the birth rates of women over 40 over the past two decades.