World’s Oldest Baby Born from Frozen Embryo

An embryo that had been stored for over 30 years has made history as the “oldest baby” in the world, arriving on July 26. The baby, named Thadeus Daniel Pierce, was born to Lindsey and Tim Pierce in London, Ohio.

This remarkable story began when a woman named Archerd and her then-husband created four embryos through in vitro fertilization after six years of trying to conceive in May 1994. Archerd successfully carried one embryo to term, giving birth to a baby girl, while the other three embryos were frozen. By the time the girl turned 30, she had given birth to her own child, making her Thadeus’ older sister.

After divorcing her husband, Archerd retained custody of the frozen embryos but faced challenges regarding their future, particularly as she approached menopause.

As reported, it was difficult for her to find a suitable institution willing to accept long-frozen embryos, and she expressed a preference for finding married, Christian parents in the U.S. With assistance from her fertility doctor, the embryos were placed in the Snowflakes program operated by Nightlight Christian Adoptions Agency in 2022.

The agency categorized “difficult” embryos into the Open Hearts program due to concerns about their viability, hoping to connect them with prospective parents. The Pierces, who joined this program, were identified as potential matches for the embryo. They worked with a Nashville-based fertility clinic committed to minimizing the creation of excess embryos.