British researchers have developed a formula that estimates a couple’s chances of having a child through in-vitro fertilization, Reuters reports. A free, online version of the calculator is available to help users decide whether to seek IVF. The application is being adapted for Android smart phones and Apple’s iPhone so users and their physicians can discuss results with the information at hand, according to the site.
Researchers from the University of Glasgow and University of Bristol analyzed more than 144,000 IVF cycles from 2003 to 2007 to produce the statistical model, which is up to 99% accurate. The data came from the Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority, which regulates IVF in Britain.
Research leader Scott Nelson said the calculator includes information that is not normally taken into account when assessing the chance of IVF success. In addition to the woman’s age, the formula evaluates factors such as the number of years trying to conceive, whether donor eggs will be used, cause of infertility, number of previous IVF cycles, and whether the woman has ever been pregnant or given birth.
A study on the model was published in the journal Public Library of Science Medicine. As many as 80 million couples worldwide are infertile, and about 140,000 IVF cycles were administered in the U.S. in 2008, according to Reuters (Kelland, Reuters, 1/4).
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