A Newborn After 30 Years? American Couple Gives Birth Using 31-Year-Old Frozen Embryo

Record for Birth Using 31-Year-Old Frozen Embryo Broken
Pierce Couple: "We Didn't Think About Records, We Just Wanted a Baby"

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The story of an American couple who gave birth to a baby using an embryo that had been frozen for 31 years has attracted widespread attention. Their case has set a record for the oldest embryo used in a successful birth and was featured in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Technology Review, a renowned science and technology publication.

According to the British daily The Times on July 30 (local time), Lindsay and Tim Pierce (35 and 34), a couple from Ohio, became pregnant using an embryo that had been frozen in 1994 and welcomed their son on July 26. The embryo donated to the Pierce couple had been frozen by Linda Archard in the 1990s when she was undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedures.

At the time, Archard and her then-husband created four embryos. One of them was implanted into her uterus, resulting in the birth of a daughter 30 years ago. The remaining three embryos were stored in a facility. After divorcing her husband, Archard obtained legal custody of the embryos and later donated them to the Pierce couple.

Lindsay, who gave birth after seven years of effort, shared, "The birth process was difficult, but now we are all okay. The baby is truly gentle, and we feel awe that such a precious child has come to us."

Previously, in 2022, a woman in Oregon gave birth to twins using embryos that had been frozen for 30 years. Lindsay, whose case has now surpassed that record, said, "I never thought about setting any kind of record. We just wanted to have a baby."

Meanwhile, in the United States, embryo donation programs?where embryos remaining after IVF are donated to infertile couples or individuals?are actively operated. Donations are facilitated through nonprofit organizations or reproductive medical clinics, and both donors and recipients must undergo infectious disease screening, psychological evaluations, and legal contract procedures in accordance with FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) guidelines.

In most states, embryos are considered "property," so legal handling is conducted as a transfer of property rather than adoption. Donation methods can be anonymous, semi-open, or open. Donors can specify preferences for the recipient's race, religion, and gender, while recipients can select embryos based on their desired donor criteria. The average cost is reported to be between $10,000 and $20,000 (approximately 13.89 million to 27.79 million won).