“It is an extremely rare occurrence — a woman is more likely to die in childbirth than through IVF,” Richard Kennedy, a spokesman for the British Fertility Society, said.

The patient, who has not been named, died on Monday at Leicester Royal Infirmary after an operation last week to harvest eggs from her ovaries.

A spokeswoman for the hospital confirmed the death yesterday but said that it was not yet possible to give any details of its circumstances.

The cause of death has yet to be established. If a link with the treatment is confirmed, the case would be one of the first British fatalities associated with IVF.

The patient suffered a complication during egg retrieval — a routine element of IVF — that caused internal bleeding and kidney problems. She is thought to have been sent home before being readmitted during the weekend. “She was admitted to a ward with renal complications and died on Monday,” a member of staff told The Sun.

At least one other death was related to IVF — a result of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS), a complication caused by an abnormal reaction to hormonal drugs used to promote egg growth.

Temilola Akinbolagbe, 33, from Plumstead, southeast London, died last year of a heart attack brought on by the condition after IVF treatment at King’s College Hospital.

IVF is generally regarded as safe. More than 10,000 children are born using it each year. But it does have risks. As well as OHSS, which affects up to 6 per cent of women, there is a small danger that a blood vessel can be punctured during the collection of eggs.

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