BMJ  2008;336:517-518 (8 March), doi:10.1136/bmj.39503.643727.80

Editorials

Acupuncture with in vitro fertilisation

May increase birth rates, but guidelines should await the results of ongoing trials

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

According to the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology, more than 300 000 treatment cycles of in vitro fertilisation and intracytoplasmatic sperm injection are performed each year in Europe.¹ Because in vitro fertilisation can affect physical and mental health, professionals delivering this treatment are trying to optimise the technology to increase birth rates.

About 90% of all assisted reproductive treatment cycles result in the transfer of at least one embryo, but only about 25% of all cycles end in implantation of the embryo and live birth. The main factor limiting the success of treatment is failure of implantation and not the lack of human embryos for transfer. Initiatives to improve rates of implantation have had varying success. In the accompanying systematic review, Manheimer and colleagues report improved pregnancy rates with in vitro fertilisation when acupuncture accompanies embryo transfer.²

As far as we are aware, this is the first systematic . . . [Full text of this article]

¹ Fertility Clinic, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark

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Relevant Article

Effects of acupuncture on rates of pregnancy and live birth among women undergoing in vitro fertilisation: systematic review and meta-analysis

Eric Manheimer, Grant Zhang, Laurence Udoff, Aviad Haramati, Patricia Langenberg, Brian M Berman, and Lex M Bouter
BMJ 2008 336: 545-549. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Boivin, J., Schmidt, L. (2009). Use of complementary and alternative medicines associated with a 30% lower ongoing pregnancy/live birth rate during 12 months of fertility treatment. Hum Reprod 24: 1626-1631 [Abstract] [Full text]  
• So, E. W. S., Ng, E. H. Y., Wong, Y. Y., Lau, E. Y. L., Yeung, W. S. B., Ho, P. C. (2009). A randomized double blind comparison of real and placebo acupuncture in IVF treatment. Hum Reprod 24: 341-348 [Abstract] [Full text]  

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