Healthy baby born from embryo frozen 20 years ago

London, Oct 11 (ANI): A healthy baby has been born from a frozen embryo that is twenty years old, potentially giving women the chance to put off motherhood until their forties or fifties.

It is the longest time a fertilised egg has been stored before developing into a healthy baby, reports the Daily Mail.

The newborn's 42-year-old mother, who lives in the U.S., had undergone ten years of IVF but was unable to conceive.

But last year a frozen embryo - created by another couple - was implanted into her womb and in May she gave birth to a boy weighing 6lb 15oz.

The embryo was created with four others when the couple were having successful IVF treatment in 1990

When one was successfully implanted, they donated the other four for 'adoption' and they were frozen.

Two decades later the four embryos were offered to the 42-year-old woman and her husband at the U.S. clinic where they were undergoing fertility treatment.

Only two embryos survived the thawing process and they were planted in the woman's womb. One survived, and the pregnancy went full term.

This scientific breakthrough could eventually lead to thousands of women having children in middle age. (ANI)