SCIENCE / MEDICINE : Artificial Insemination Limit

Most couples trying to conceive through artificial insemination probably should give up if the technique has failed after six attempts, researchers said last week.

A study involving 50 women who underwent in vitro fertilization or IVF at the Beth Israel Hospital in Boston found that it was highly unusual for a successful pregnancy to occur after the sixth try.

“We conclude that the overwhelming majority of couples who will achieve pregnancy as a result of IVF do so within a relatively short period of time,” Dr. Machelle Seibel and colleagues wrote in a letter published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

“Couples who do not achieve a viable pregnancy after four to six IVF cycles should be counseled that success with this technique is unlikely and should not be encouraged to pursue IVF further,” they said.