Fertility rates boosted by new £600 test that identifies embryos most likely to survive IVF



A test devised by British scientists promises to make successful pregnancies far more likely through IVF treatment.

The test, which costs £600, helps doctors find the embryos with the best chance of surviving in the womb before they are implanted.



In trials, pregnancy rates have been boosted by 25 per cent.



Better odds: The EmbryoSure test could cut the number of IVF treatment cycles women need to become pregnant

Many women need to have several cycles of treatment – each one costing at least £4,000 – before they give birth. At present, just one in four cycles of IVF results in a successful pregnancy.



However, in an initial trial of the test with 50 women, 31 per cent of them became pregnant.

Success: In an initial trial involving 50 women, 31 per cent became pregnant

In the screening method, eggs fertilised using IVF are placed in amino acids to replicate conditions in the womb.

The technique was developed by Professor Henry Leese, a biologist at York University and Hull Medical School. He said: ‘We found the very best embryos were ones that were “quiet” and got on with feeding on the amino acid.’



Further trials of 400 women have now begun at fertility units in London, Leeds and Liverpool.

