WASHINGTON - Fertility specialists heralded the birth of a baby girl who was conceived through in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) at their lab with sperm frozen 21 years ago, a world record.

Chris Biblis, 38, of Charlotte (US) was treated for leukemia from age 13 to 18. In 1987 at 16, his family encouraged him to freeze his sperm, even though there was no treatment for male infertility at the time.

It was not until 1992 that the first baby was born from intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), a breakthrough fertility technology in which scientists inject a carefully selected healthy sperm cell into a human egg in the lab.

Biblis is now in remission, having been clinically disease-free for more than 20 years. In May 2008, he and his wife, Melodie Biblis, 33, also in excellent health, sought fertility treatment with REACH (Reproductive Endocrinology Associates of Charlotte) founder and fertility specialist Richard L. Wing.

‘They achieved pregnancy on their first cycle of intracytoplasmic sperm injection used in conjunction with IVF, a now-routine procedure for male infertility, using her eggs and his frozen sperm,’ Wing said. ‘We had every reason to expect a perfect baby but are thrilled nonetheless,’ he said.

Baby Stella Biblis was born in excellent health on March 4 this year, said a REACH release.

Biblis shares history with Ken Decker, whose daughter Madison was born in August 2008 from sperm Decker froze before undergoing chemotherapy for Hodgkin’s disease when he was 24.

The 21-year span between both men’s sperm cryopreservation and the birth of their respective daughters rank as two of the longest periods of time for conception on medical record.