Oregon couple welcomes twins born from embryos frozen 30 years ago 

A couple from Oregon welcomed their newest addition to their family: twins born from embryos that were frozen 30 years ago. Experts believe the birth set a record for the longest frozen embryos that have resulted in a live birth. 

Philip and Rachel Ridgeway welcomed twins Lydia and Timothy on October 31, who were born from donated embryos that were frozen on April 22, 1992. For 30 years, the embryos were kept at -200F (-128C) in liquid nitrogen. 

Embryo donation is when an embryo from one individual is transferred to another. However, the embryos can be frozen and preserved for later use in a process called “embryo freezing” or “cryopreservation.” 

The live birth rate of a donated frozen embryo is 49%, according to the Cleveland Clinic. 

“It’s a tremendous blessing,” Rachel told TODAY. 

“There is something mind-boggling about it,” Philip said. “I was 5 years old when God gave life to Lydia and Timothy, and he’s been preserving that life ever since.”

These twins are the world’s 'oldest' babies, having been born from embryos that were frozen for 30 years 🤯 pic.twitter.com/9ZGqOFrvi5

— NowThis (@nowthisnews) November 23, 2022

The twins are thought to have broken the record for having seen the longest frozen embryos that resulted in a live birth, according to the National Embryo Donation Center (NEDC). 

The previous record was set in 2020 when Tina and Ben Gibson from Tennessee welcomed a baby named Molly from a 27-year-old donated embryo. The Gibsons also welcomed Emma, who was born in 2017 from a 24-year-old frozen embryo and established the record before her sister was born.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, older frozen embryos can be used. However, the success rates and how long embryos can be frozen have not yet been explored. 

The Ridgeways share four other children, aged eight, six, three, and one.