September saw the birth of the first baby from an egg that had been frozen through an automated system. The healthy baby boy was born by vaginal delivery at 37 weeks gestation weighing 2,200 g and measuring 46 cm.
The baby was born in Italy, but his birth was made possible by the work of the team at the Reproductive Medicine Service of Dexeus Mujer clinic in Barcelona, who performed the in vitro fertilisation treatment on the mother. The birth confirms the feasibility of a new vitrification technology – ultra-rapid freezing – that allows for partial automation of the egg freezing process.
The process could only previously be done manually and an expert and experienced embryologist had to prepare the samples and carry out the different stages, since eggs are cells with special sensitivity to vitrification. With this new technology, the results could be optimised and standardised. For the time being, this system, which Dexeus has incorporated in its laboratories and was developed by Merck, is only available at certain centres and hospitals around the world.
With this achievement, Dexeus Mujer once again demonstrates its dedication to innovation and its position as a reference centre pioneering in the introduction of new assisted reproduction techniques in Spain.