NCT02683967

The Impact of Acupuncture on the Success Rates of IVF (In Vitro Fertilisation) Treatments

The Impact of Acupuncture on the Success Rate of IVF Treatments

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 184 (actual)
• Sponsor: Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust · Academic / Other
• Sex: Female
• Age: 18 Years – 43 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

The trial aims to investigate whether acupuncture has an effect in increasing clinical pregnancy (pregnancy that is confirmed by a scan) and live birth rates on women undergoing IVF treatment.

Detailed description

Failing to conceive naturally poses significant stress to the infertile couple. It creates a feeling of failure and frustration. It has been found that the use of complementary therapies makes women feel empowered, with a sense of regaining control of the body. The popularity of acupuncture is increasing. A significant proportion of couples having fertility treatment, especially IVF (In-Vitro Fertilisation) ask their clinician about using acupuncture and some patients undergo acupuncture privately without reporting to their clinicians. The effectiveness of acupuncture on IVF has been extensively researched; however the results are varied and not conclusive. This is due to previous studies varying significantly in their study design, acupuncture timing and the final outcome measure. As a result of the difference in the studies it is not clear whether acupuncture is beneficial regarding IVF success rates and whether it should be offered to women undergoing IVF.

Conditions

• Infertility

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
PROCEDURE	acupuncture	patients received a Delphi acupuncture at least 3 times during their fertility treatment cycle.

Timeline

• Start date: 2013-11-01
• Primary completion: 2016-01-01
• Completion: 2016-01-01
• First posted: 2016-02-17
• Last updated: 2016-02-17