Influence of acupuncture on the pregnancy rate in patients who undergo assisted reproduction therapy.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effect of acupuncture on the pregnancy rate in assisted reproduction therapy (ART) by comparing a group of patients receiving acupuncture treatment shortly before and after embryo transfer with a control group receiving no acupuncture.


METHODS
Prospective randomized study.


METHODS
Fertility center.


METHODS
After giving informed consent, 160 patients who were undergoing ART and who had good quality embryos were divided into the following two groups through random selection: embryo transfer with acupuncture (n = 80) and embryo transfer without acupuncture (n = 80).


METHODS
Acupuncture was performed in 80 patients 25 minutes before and after embryo transfer. In the control group, embryos were transferred without any supportive therapy.


METHODS
Clinical pregnancy was defined as the presence of a fetal sac during an ultrasound examination 6 weeks after embryo transfer.


RESULTS
Clinical pregnancies were documented in 34 of 80 patients (42.5%) in the acupuncture group, whereas pregnancy rate was only 26.3% (21 out of 80 patients) in the control group.


CONCLUSIONS
Acupuncture seems to be a useful tool for improving pregnancy rate after ART.
Paulus
Wolfgang E
WE
Department of Reproductive Medicine, Christian-Lauritzen-Institut, Ulm, Germany. paulus@reprotox.de
Zhang
Mingmin
M
Strehler
Erwin
E
El-Danasouri
Imam
I
Sterzik
Karl
K
D015670:Acupuncture Therapy; D004624:Embryo Transfer; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D027724:Reproductive Techniques, Assisted; D020554:Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic