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A study of more than 400,000 IVF cycles has found that doctors should aim to retrieve around 15 eggs from a woman's ovaries in a single cycle for the best chance of achieving a live birth.

The study, published in the Human Reproduction journal, found a strong link between live birth rates and the number of eggs retrieved in one cycle of in-vitro fertilization (IVF).

The live birth rate rose with an increasing number of eggs up to about 15, researchers found, but it leveled off between 15 and 20 eggs, and then steadily declined beyond 20 eggs.

Arri Coomarasamy of Britain's Birmingham University, who led the study, said the findings suggest that aiming for around 15 eggs per cycle would maximize the chances of a live birth while minimizing the risk of overstimulating the ovaries, risking a condition known as ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS).

Infertility is a problem that affects around one in seven couples globally, experts say. Hundreds of thousands of IVF cycles are conducted each year around the world for people wanting a baby.

The process involves...