From the following article:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4163335/
So if twins are born using 12 year old frozen embryos, does that mean they are 12 years and nine months old at birth?
Sound like a great plot twist in some future murder mystery.
Should there be a limit of time to keep them? I mean, what would happen if they used those frozen embryos in the year 6004 just to see what primitive man looked like?
Well, we determine the age of standard-issue babies by when they were born, not when the sperm and egg joined. Why should we treat these differently?
At last, this will allow us a glimpse of what early-1990s man must have looked like.
Well, since women are born with all the eggs they’ll ever produce, all eggs are “old” eggs. Since we don’t add the mother’s age at conception to the baby’s age in cases of natural fertilization I don’t see why we would for in vitro.
Or maybe I missed something?
I worked in a fertility clinic as a nurse for almost 5 years. This was about 6 years ago. I was interesting and complicated work.
Doctor Jackson is correct- no special age measurements are commonly used, although I did have one woman insist her children, born 2+ years apart, were technically twins since they were fertilized at the same time (but implanted and carried at separate times). I don’t agree with that conclusion on the grounds that fraternal twins would need to be carried at the same time, but it didn’t really matter to me how she thought about the children.
But, using that kind of logic, I guess I could claim to be both a mother and a father (I’m female) since I had children myself and also performed intrauterine inseminations that resulted in pregnancy on others. Somehow I don’t think my ‘claim’ would make me very popular.
But you’d be a hit at parties.
I can’t think of any reason why the age of the embryo would be important in any way to anyone other than to immediate family. Doctors wouldn’t care—if they did, the baby would be late for his immunizations by the time he’s born!—his baby teeth are eleven years late! Lawyers wouldn’t care—if they did, an 18-year-old embryo has to register for Selective Service!
I figure it’d be like having a famous family ancestor. It’s something your family knows and nobody else much cares.