Despite its widespread use during assisted reproductive technology (ART) cycles, acupuncture does not appear to improve live birth or pregnancy rates in couples dealing with subfertility.
2013 Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews Acupuncture and assisted reproductive technology Cheong YC, Dix S, Hung Yu Ng E, Ledger WL, Farquhar C
Systematic Review Female Fertility IVF
This passage discusses a meta-analysis that aimed to determine the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture as an adjunct to assisted reproductive technology (ART) cycles for couples dealing with subfertility. The review included 20 randomized controlled trials, analyzing the impact of acupuncture on live birth rate, ongoing pregnancy rate, miscarriage rate, and side effects. The findings indicate that acupuncture did not show any overall benefit in improving live birth or pregnancy rates during ART cycles, regardless of whether it was performed around oocyte retrieval or embryo transfer. Additionally, acupuncture did not have significant side effects. The authors conclude that there is no evidence supporting the use of acupuncture to enhance live birth or pregnancy rates in assisted conception.
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