Stars conspire for IVF success or failure

In vitro fertilisation success may be down to heavenly bodies - not the physiques of the couple in question, but the movement of the planets.

Researchers at Southampton University set out to prove that astrology is bunk, but the findings seem, instead, to prove that good fortune is in the stars after all. Early results suggest that the movements of the Moon, Venus and Jupiter may affect success rates for IVF and other fertility treatments.

But Pat Harris, of the university's research group for the critical study of astrology, said: "It is too early to draw any conclusions."