WebMD Medical News Laura J. Martin, MD July 19, 2010 -- A new
method for predicting IVF success that takes 52 variables into
account works better overall than the commonly used age model,
according to a new report. In IVF (in vitro fertilization), eggs
and sperm are brought together in a lab dish to fertilize an
egg. ''Our model is more than 1,000 times more predictive than
the age-based model," researcher Mylene Yao, MD, an assistant
professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Stanford University
School of Medicine, tells WebMD. "We are pinpointing patients
more specifically, using [more than] 50 variables rather than
one, " she says. The model estimates the likelihood of a live
birth with future IVF cycles for women who have already gone
through one cycle. Eventually, Yao hopes the method will be
available for commercial use. The report is published online in
the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Nearly 75%
of IVF treatments don't produce a live birth, Yao writes. When
deciding whether to try a