Test to predict IVF success

Doctors have developed a test to predict the chances of a woman getting pregnant after undergoing in-vitro fertilisation (IVF). Researchers at Stanford University say that the test is 70 per cent accurate, and is conducted after embryos are created but before they are implanted. They added that this could help tailor treatment and counselling for thousands of couples who undergo IVF. "There's a lot of emotional and financial cost, as well as medical intervention, involved with IVF treatment and often the costs have to be paid for by the couple," said Dr Mylene Yao, who led the research.

"Providing them with a personalised assessment of their chances of success could really help with their decision making."

The test combines four factors used to assess the quality of an embryo. These are the total number of embryos produced, the percentage that stopped dividing after a few days, the number of embryos made up of eight cells, and the level of the hormone FSH in the woman's blood system.

During IVF treatment, a woman is injected with hormones that make her overproduce eggs. These are collected and fertilised with sperm overnight.

One cycle of IVF typically produces between five and 12 embryos, one or two of which are usually implanted after they have been cultured in a dish for three days.