A test has been developed to help women who have previously undergone an IVF cycle to decide if they want to try again.
The procedure could help women who have failed to become pregnant during their first attempt at the treatment.
According to the latest statistics from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), the percentage of cycles that ended in a live birth was 23.7 per cent in 2007.
However, the scientists at the Stanford University School of Medicine who developed the idea have said that it can only be used by women who have already tried IVF, as it relies on these earlier results.
"Our findings show that the first IVF cycle can provide quantitative, customised prediction of the live birth probability in a subsequent cycle," the researchers explained.
"This concept is radically different from the current paradigm, in which age is a major predictor."
Over 36,000 women underwent IVF treatment in 2007, the HFEA reported.
