Repeated IVF Cycles Reduce Chances of Success

Researchers from the University of California suggest that the chance of successful in-vitro fertilization treatment reduces drastically if it is tried for a fourth time.

More than 400 couples took part in the study which included face-to-face and telephone interviews and questionnaires. The researchers found that the best chance of a successful IVF treatment was in its first or second cycle but the benefits reduced after three or more cycles.

For those couples who used intrauterine insemination (IUI), the chances of a successful treatment came in the first, second or the third cycle while the chances of pregnancy reduced after undergoing four or more cycles.

"Cycle-based fertility treatments may offer a point of diminishing returns for infertile couples", the researchers wrote in their study which was published in the journal Fertility and Sterility.


Source: Medindia