Archive · 14 Sep 2026
Greek Woman Gives Birth Using Embryo Frozen 22 Years
A Greek couple had embryos frozen more than 22 years ago.
Their adult son, Giorgos, later died in a road accident.
The couple decided to try to have another baby after this loss.
Doctors used one of their frozen embryos in treatment.
Cristina Rapti-Tzelepi was 54 and close to Greece’s IVF age limit.
The couple needed special permission before continuing.
She gave birth to a healthy baby girl in Athens.
They named her Georgia to honor Giorgos.
Their doctor says Greece may need to review its IVF age rule.
Cristina Rapti-Tzelepi, 54, gave birth to a baby girl in Athens using an embryo frozen for more than 22 years.
She and her husband, Constantinos Raptis, pursued another pregnancy after their 21-year-old son, Giorgos, died in a road accident.
The couple received approval from Greece’s national reproductive medicine authority because Rapti-Tzelepi was approaching the country’s IVF age limit.
The baby, named Georgia in memory of Giorgos, was born weighing 3.49 kilograms.
Gynaecologist Kostas Pantos said Greece’s rule limiting IVF to women under 54 may need to be reconsidered.
- Who
- Cristina Rapti-Tzelepi and her husband, Constantinos Raptis, with gynaecologist Kostas Pantos involved in the treatment.
- What
- A 54-year-old woman gave birth to a baby girl using an embryo frozen for more than 22 years.
- When
- The birth occurred on Wednesday, September 9; the couple began pursuing another pregnancy several months after Giorgos died the previous October.
- Where
- At a hospital in Athens, Greece.
- Why
- The couple wanted to rebuild their family after their 21-year-old son, Giorgos, died in a road accident, and used a previously cryopreserved embryo.
Arguments for reviewing the IVF limit
Current age-limit rules
Treatment after age 54
Arguments for reviewing the IVF limit
Kostas Pantos said the law is very strict and may be time to change, particularly as Greece faces a declining birth rate.
Current age-limit rules
Greek regulations generally do not allow women to undergo IVF after age 54, creating a clear upper boundary for treatment.
Parental access
Arguments for reviewing the IVF limit
Pantos said parents should not be deprived of the right to have a child because of the age restriction.
Current age-limit rules
The current regulations restrict access based on age, and this couple needed special approval because Rapti-Tzelepi was approaching the limit.
- Mother’s age
- 54
- Embryo storage period
- More than 22 years
- Baby’s name
- Georgia
- Birth weight
- 3.49 kilograms
- Birth location
- A hospital in Athens
- Greece’s IVF age rule
- Women can generally undergo IVF only until age 54
- Required approval
- Permission was obtained from Greece’s national reproductive medicine authority
