A systematic review and meta-analysis of acupuncture inin vitrofertilisation

T El-Toukhy, S K Sunkara, M Khairy, R Dyer, Y Khalaf, Aravinthan Coomarasamy

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    Abstract

    BACKGROUND: Numerous randomised studies have reported pregnancy outcome in women who received acupuncture during their in vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment cycle. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to conduct a systematic review with meta-analysis of the trials of acupuncture during IVF treatment on the outcomes of clinical pregnancy and live birth rates. SEARCH STRATEGY: Searches were conducted in MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, ISI Proceedings and SCISEARCH. SELECTION CRITERIA: All randomised controlled trials that evaluated the effects of acupuncture compared with no treatment or sham acupuncture in women undergoing IVF-intracytoplasmic sperm injection treatment were included. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Study selection, quality appraisal and data extraction were performed independently and in duplicate. A sensitivity analysis was conducted where the meta-analysis was restricted to trials in which sham acupuncture was used in the control group. Meta-regression analysis was used to explore the association between study characteristics and pregnancy rates. MAIN RESULTS: Thirteen relevant trials, including a total of 2500 women randomised to either acupuncture or control group, were identified. No evidence of publication bias was found (Begg's test, P = 0.50). Five trials (n = 877) evaluated IVF outcome when acupuncture was performed around the time of transvaginal oocyte retrieval, while eight trials (n = 1623) reported IVF outcome when acupuncture was performed around the time of embryo transfer (ET). Meta-analysis of the five studies of acupuncture around the time of egg collection did not show a significant difference in clinical pregnancy (relative risks [RR] = 1.06, 95% CI 0.82-1.37, P = 0.65). Meta-analysis of the eight studies of acupuncture around the time of ET showed no difference in the clinical pregnancy rate (RR = 1.23, 95% CI 0.96-1.58, P = 0.1). Live birth data were available from five of the eight studies of acupuncture around the time of ET. Meta-analysis of these studies did not show a significant increase in live birth rate with acupuncture (RR = 1.34, 95% CI 0.85-2.11). Using meta-regression, no significant association between any of the studied covariates and clinical pregnancy rate was found (P > 0.05 for all covariates). CONCLUSION: Currently available literature does not provide sufficient evidence that adjuvant acupuncture improves IVF clinical pregnancy rate.
    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)1203-1213
    Number of pages11
    JournalBJOG
    Volume115
    Issue number10
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 1 Sept 2008

    Keywords

    • acupuncture
    • randomised trials
    • embryo transfer
    • oocyte retrieval
    • IVF
    • clinical pregnancy

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