Snowflake Babies

“Snowflake babies” is the term used by some groups, such as Nightlight Christian Adoptions, which coined the term to refer to embryos that are frozen in liquid nitrogen that remain unused after the process of in vitro fertilization (IVF), and are then donated or put up for “embryo adoption” to select heterosexual couples.

These frozen embryos are known as snowflake babies for two reasons. First, those using this term understand that from the moment of fertilization, like snowflakes, no two embryos are alike. And second, using the term babies, they understand personhood as beginning at the moment of fertilization. The status of embryos, however, is a highly contentious issue and one of significant social and reproductive consequence to women for the 21st century.

IVF is a ...