Baby born from embryo one year younger than its mother

How can a baby be one year younger than its mother? It may sound like a riddle, but there is no trick answer - a 26-year-old American woman has given birth to a baby girl who was frozen as an embryo 25 years ago.

In October 1992, five “sibling” embryos were created using sperm and eggs donated by an anonymous couple. A quarter of a century later, on 25 November this year, 26-year-old Tennessee woman Tina Gibson gave birth to Emma, born from one of these embryos.

Gibson and her husband, Benjamin, who suffers fertility issues as a result of cystic fibrosis, had fostered several children before Benjamin’s father suggested they look into “adopting” an embryo donated by another couple, she told CNN.

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In March, the embryo which would become Emma was thawed and implanted into Gibson’s womb at the National Embryo Donation Center in Knoxville, which pairs infertile couples with “spare” embryos no longer needed by their biological parents. So far, according to the centre’s website, 686 babies have been born through the programme.

Gibson told CNN that she was astonished when she first learnt that she was going to receive an embryo created a year after her own birth. “This embryo and I could have been best friends," she said.

Frozen embryos, colloquially known as “snowbabies”, can remain in storage for many years before being used, but Emma is the oldest embryo to be successfully implanted and carried to term, according to staff at the University of Tennessee Preston Medical Library.

However, 25 years in waiting don’t appear to have affected Emma, who was born in robust health, weighing 6lb 8oz.

"Emma is such a sweet miracle,” Benjamin told local news station WBIR. “I think she looks pretty perfect to have been frozen all those years ago.”