Woman gives birth with the help of frozen ovary

A woman in Belgium made medical history after giving birth with an ovary that had been frozen before she hit puberty.

The 27-year-old woman had one of her ovaries removed at the age of 13 to begin treatment for sickle cell anemia. The BBC reports that doctors were unsure if it would produce eggs because she hadn't gotten her period but took their chances.

The girl's remaining ovary failed following a bone marrow transplant and she became infertile.

Ten years later, Sky News reports she wanted to have a family so doctors thawed out her frozen ovary and transplanted four pieces of tissue into the other one. She got her first period 5 months later at 25-years-old and two years after that she conceived naturally.

She gave birth to a healthy baby boy last November.

Doctors say this is the first time a woman has had her fertility restored and this case gives hope for young girls, but the invasive procedure is not without risks and requires further investigation.

A gynecologist told the BBC, "Of course the risk depends on the age and the type of treatment and the dosage so each case should be individually evaluated before offering the procedure."