The first test-tube twins born to an Israeli woman were successfully delivered by Caesarean section at Sheba Hospital in Tel Hashomer Sunday.
The infants, boys who are fraternal, not identical, twins developed from embryos that had been stored in deep freeze for six months.
Each weighed a healthy 7.7 pounds at birth.
The mother, who comes from Ashkelon but was not further identified, had undergone treatment for infertility.
Several of her ova were removed and fertilized. But the first batch implanted in her uterus failed to develop.
The rest of the fertilized ova were deep frozen until the patient was ready to try for motherhood again.
In vitro fertilization was performed 34 weeks ago at Assuta Hospital, a private hospital in Tel Aviv.
When its obstetrics department closed for budgetary reasons, the patient was transferred to Sheba, a government hospital.
The head of its obstetrics-gynecology department, Dr. David Serr, said the chances of a fertilized egg “taking” after being frozen and transferred to the womb is about 30 percent.
He said embryos can be kept frozen for up to five years and then defrosted for implantation.
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