Twins Born from Oldest Known Frozen Embryos Bring Joy to Family
Rachel Ridgeway, a mother of six, recently gave birth to twins that are believed to have been developed from the oldest known embryos that led to a live birth. The embryos of the twins’ biological parents were donated to the National Embryo Donation Center after in vitro fertilization in 1992, and they were frozen in liquid nitrogen.
Rachel and her husband, Philip, adopted the embryos and, after a few months, discovered that they had naturally conceived their fourth child. However, they were determined to expand their family and revisited their plan to use the frozen embryos.
Despite the age of the embryos, the Ridgeways were not concerned about the potential genetic disorders that the embryos could carry. They were motivated by their religious beliefs and the desire to have as many children as possible. Three of the embryos were transferred, and two of them developed into healthy babies.
Timothy weighed 6 pounds and 7 ounces, while Lydia weighed 5 pounds and 11 ounces. Their record-breaking delivery was verified by the University of Tennessee’s Preston Medical Library.
The Ridgeways plan to tell the twins about their conception story when they are older and to keep their adoption as a normal part of their lives. They believe that embryo adoption makes their twins special, and they are excited to raise them with this knowledge.