BJOG Release: How Does Acupuncture Influence IVF Outcome?
(wz) Despite the prevalence of acupuncture as a complement to in vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment, a new study to be published in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology has found that there is little evidence of any benefits.
The study, from Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital in London, was a review and meta-analysis of 13 randomised trials involving the use of acupuncture during IVF treatment and outcome assessment. In total, 2500 women were included.
Five of the 13 trials included a total of 877 women and evaluated IVF outcome when acupuncture was performed at the time of egg retrieval from the woman. All five studies were based in Europe and the mean age of the participants was 30.5 to 34.4 years. Pooling of the results showed no significant difference in the clinical pregnancy rate between the acupuncture and control groups (relative risks (RR) = 1.06, 95% CI 0.82-1.37, P = 0.65).
A further eight trials included a total of 1623 women and assessed IVF outcome when acupuncture was performed at the time of embryo transfer. Four of these studies were conducted in Europe, three in the USA and one in Australia. Again when pooling the results of all the studies, no significant difference between the acupuncture and control groups was detected (RR = 1.23, 95% CI 0.96-1.58, P = 0.28). more…
From: »Medical News Today«