Fertility boost in frozen egg trial

Scientists have forecast a breakthrough in fertility treatment after 13 couples had babies using frozen eggs.

Scientists in Italy who froze 737 eggs from 68 women say the high number of births means a major advance in the process may be only a few years away.

Though only 37 per cent of the eggs stored survived freezing and thawing, Italian researchers now plan changes to raise the yield to 75-85 per cent.

Dr Giovanni Coticchio, who led the Bologna study, said this would mean women could store high-quality eggs at a younger age, boosting their chances of a later successful pregnancy.