Abstract
This study showed no acupuncture effect and the researchers felt this
was due to the
fact that they included many women who didn't have good quality embryos
available for transfer. While acupuncture may help a woman become
pregnant after the transfer of a healthy embryo, the researcher noted in
an interview, it can't repair an embryo with chromosomal defects or
other abnormalities. She added, "Despite the
results of my own study, I still recommend acupuncture to women going
through IVF"
Objective: To replicate previous research on the efficacy of
acupuncture in increasing pregnancy rates (PR) in patients undergoing
IVF and to determine whether such an increase was due to a placebo
effect.
Design: Prospective, randomized, controlled, single blind trial. Setting: Private, academically affiliated, infertility clinic.
Patient(s): One hundred fifty patients scheduled to undergo embryo transfer.
Intervention(s): Subjects were randomized to either the
acupuncture or control group. Acupuncture patients received the
protocol, as first described by Paulus and his colleagues, for 25
minutes before and after embryo transfer. Control subjects laid
quietly. All subjects then completed questionnaires on anxiety and
optimism. The IVF staff remained blind to subject assignment.
Main Outcome Measure(s): Clinical PRs, anxiety, optimism.
Result(s): Before randomization both groups had similar
demographic characteristics including age and psychological variables.
There were no significant differences in PRs between the two groups.
Acupuncture patients reported significantly less anxiety post-transfer
and reported feeling more optimistic about their cycle and enjoyed
their sessions more than the control subjects.
Conclusion(s): The use of acupuncture in patients undergoing IVF
was not associated with an increase in PRs but they were more relaxed
and more optimistic
