New 'IVF calculator' predicts' chances of conceiving a baby

Experts say a new "In vitro fertilization (IVF) calculator" can predict a couple's success of conceiving a baby.

The tool, which can be used by doctors or people seeking fertility treatment, can estimate a couple's chance of having a baby before and after first IVF treatment, and over multiple cycles.

Writing in The BMJ, researchers led by the University of Aberdeen describe how the calculator could "help to shape couples' expectations".

The device takes into account the woman's, how many years she has been trying to conceive, whether she has an ovulation problem, an unexplained fertility issue or whether there is a male fertility problem among other factors.

The tool is based on data from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) which collects information on all licensed fertility treatments in the UK.

The researchers analysed data from all women who started IVF and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) in the UK from 1999 to 2008 using their own eggs and partner's sperm.

They found out that of 114,000 women who completed almost 185,000 cycles of treatment, 29.1 per cent had a live birth following their first cycle and 43 per cent had a baby following six cycles of treatment.

Then researchers also found out that the chances of a couple having a baby declined after the woman reached the age of 30 and decreased with increasing duration of infertility.

The data was then put into the calculator to predict IVF success.

For example, the calculator predicts that a 30-year-old woman with two years of unexplained infertility issue, has a 46 per cent chance of having a live birth from the first complete cycle of IVF and a 79 per cent chance over three complete cycles.