NHS Grampian Charity have awarded funding for a project titled "Making pregnancy predictable: exploring the use of prediction models to streamline treatment decisions in infertility". Using data from over 7,000 couples from the Aberdeen Fertility Clinic, the study aims to improve how we understand the chances of having a baby without fertility treatment in couples diagnosed with any type of infertility. The study will develop two prediction models: one for couples newly diagnosed with infertility, and one for those who have completed fertility treatment without having had a baby. The first model could help us understand the baseline likelihood of natural conception to contextualise the "added value" of fertility treatments like IVF. The second model focuses on chances after treatment has ended, a critical and under-researched time when couples are faced with difficult choices and little evidence about their prognosis. The project is led by the members of the ACWHR at the University of Aberdeen and will begin in August 2025 to last eighteen months.
Congratulations to everyone involved!