I congratulate Ms Lim Lay Hoon on her success with in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) ("Do more to help infertile couples"; last Saturday).

However, there is a limit to what the Government can do to increase our birth rate, and individual couples still bear some responsibility in child bearing.

The age of a woman matters a lot when it comes to fertility.

Even the success of IVF treatment drops as a woman gets older. Some IVF clinics will not even offer treatment to women 45 or older using their own eggs.

The best option for women is to marry before the age of 30 and not delay parenthood.

Heng Cho Choon