Ahmedabad : A city-based fertility centre on Monday said that it has been successful in impregnating a woman through artificial insemination using frozen oocytes (egg) technique, claiming it be first of its kind in the country.

Dr Himanshu Bavishi of Bavishi Fertility Institute (BFI) here said that they have been able to achieve a pregnancy with the help of frozen oocytes, which is the first case of pregnancy with frozen oocytes. The pregnant woman is in her late 40s.

This technique of freezing female oocytes and using them for pregnancy later has a long-term implications and it can create enormous potential to help infertile women.

"Freezing of embryo will also be great help for career-oriented women, who want to wait for some more years before having a child," said infertility specialist Dr Falguni Bavishi.

"In this case, oocyte freezing was started in July 2008, thawing and using them for pregnancy was attempted in November 2008. The first pregnancy was confirmed in December 2008," said Dr Bavishi, adding that the technique was developed in Japan first.

He claimed that freezing is mostly helpful for women as their fertility is only for few years, while fertility of man normally lasts for life time.

Explaining the recently developed technique, Dr Bavishi said, "Female eggs are very fragile. They never come out of female body naturally. It's difficult to take care of them invitro (outside of the body). For freezing oocytes, we take them to 196 degree Celsius temperature. The life remains suspended at this temperature. This temperature is maintained till we want to preserve it. When we de-freeze (thaw) the oocytes and bring them to normal temperature, they become live and viable again.