Scientists are a step closer to discovering the cause of production of abnormal eggs (responsible for infertility, miscarriages etc) in older women.

The Newcastle University team believes that a fall in levels of proteins called cohesins, essential for chromosomes to divide properly for fertilisation, is responsible for abnormal eggs. If the reason behind the decline of cohesins with age can be worked out, it could open up the potential for developing solutions to infertility in older women.

But Professor Balen, chair of the British Fertility Society’s practice and policy committee, told the BBC it was “far too early to say” if the finding would have any bearing on clinical care for older women with fertility problems.