Record-breaking twins born from frozen eggs

An Argentinian woman has given birth to twins after IVF treatment using eggs that had been frozen for 12 years.

Monica Zapotoczny, from Buenos Aires, had previously undergone several unsuccessful rounds of IVF. Now, aged 45, she gave birth by caesarian section to two non-identical twins, Mercedes and Guadalupe, from eggs frozen when she was 33.

Twelve years is thought to be longest time that frozen eggs have been kept before being used successfully for IVF.

Use of cryopreserved eggs (which includes slow-freezing and vitrification techniques) in IVF treatment is less common than the use of cryopreserved embryos. According to the Daily Mail, only 15 people in the UK have been born using frozen eggs.

Although cryopreservation permits eggs to be stored for a long time, eggs may become damaged during prolonged storage. IVF using cryopreserved embryos has achieved higher success rates than IVF with stored eggs.

The Daily Mail says Mrs Zapotoczny's pregnancy offers 'new hope to cancer survivors who are holding off having children [and] will come as a boost to career women who are having children later in life to focus on their job'.

Mrs Zapotoczny commented: 'I hope other women who freeze their eggs can take hope from this that their dreams can one day come true'.