Two babies born to a Pacific Northwest couple now hold the record as the longest-ever frozen embryos to ever result in a successful live birth, according to the National Embryo Donation Center.
Twin siblings Lydia and Timothy were born October 31, 2022 to parents Rachel and Philip Ridgeway, who live outside of Portland.
The embryos were frozen nearly 30 years in liquid nitrogen, intended for a family searching for in vitro fertilization options.
“I have been working in the field of infertility for over 25 years, and yet these embryos were frozen while I was still in my training as an Ob/Gyn resident at Stanford. It just boggles the imagination,” said Dr. John David Gordon, the Medical Director at Southeastern Fertility in Tennessee.
Dr. Gordon transferred the embryos to Rachel’s uterus on March 2, 2022 at the Knoxville facility.
The new record of embryos frozen for 29 years and 10 months being born breaks a previous record of 27 years frozen, held by parents Tina and Ben Gibson.
The National Embryo Donation Center is a faith-based organization. It says it has facilitated more than 1,250 births through what it calls “embryo adoption.”