Recent research spearheaded by the University of Maryland School of Medicine and published in the journal Human Reproduction Update indicates that acupuncture might serve as a beneficial support for fertility, especially when combined with in vitro fertilization (IVF). IVF involves fertilizing a woman’s egg with sperm outside the body before transferring the resulting embryo into the uterus. Notably, acupuncture has emerged as the most widely adopted supplementary therapy among couples undergoing treatment at fertility clinics across the United States.
In this recent study, researchers assessed 16 prior studies involving over 4,000 patients, building on a review from the Center for Integrative Medicine published in the British Medical Journal back in 2008. The findings revealed positive outcomes for women who received acupuncture during their IVF embryo transfer process. However, researchers stressed that these conclusions varied across different cultural contexts.
The study’s authors pointed out that international differences might contribute to the fluctuating baseline pregnancy rates observed. For instance, European clinics might report lower IVF pregnancy rates than those in the U.S. because many European countries are shifting towards single embryo transfers. Eric Thompson, the lead author and research associate at the University of Maryland Center for Integrative Medicine, noted, “In trials with varying baseline rates, if the IVF settings already have high baseline pregnancy rates, the additional benefits of adjunct therapies like acupuncture may be minimal.”
Interestingly, their systematic review suggested that for IVF clinics with a baseline pregnancy rate above 32 percent, the addition of acupuncture did not show any significant advantage. Conversely, clinics with lower baseline pregnancy rates (below 32 percent) appeared to benefit from acupuncture, indicating a direct correlation between baseline success rates and the effectiveness of acupuncture as an adjunct therapy.
While these findings are intriguing, Thompson and his colleagues emphasize the need for further research to ascertain the potential of acupuncture as a supportive treatment in IVF clinics with lower baseline success rates, as well as to evaluate safety and cost-effectiveness for patients and their partners. As of now, the research has yet to confirm whether any improvements in IVF success rates are directly attributable to acupuncture.
Have you considered using acupuncture in conjunction with your IVF treatments? For more insights on fertility options, you might want to check out this post from our other blog, Modern Family Blog.
If you’re interested in exploring at-home options, Make A Mom is the leading provider of insemination kits worldwide, and you can find excellent resources on pregnancy and home insemination at Resolve.
In summary, acupuncture may be a valuable adjunct to IVF, particularly for clinics with lower success rates, though further studies are needed to establish its efficacy conclusively.
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