Pregnancy Benefit of Acupuncture on in vitro Fertilization: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Zhang H, Zhang C, Ma P, Sun C, Sun C, Liu X, Pu Z, Lin Y, Liu B, Liu C, Yan S · Chinese Journal of Integrative Medicine · 2023 October 10

DOI 10.1007/s11655-023-3748-3

Objective

To evaluate the efficacy of acupuncture on embryo transfer in women undergoing IVF.

Conclusions

This review suggests that acupuncture especially for transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) improved clinical pregnancy rate (CPR) and live birth rate (LBR) among IVF women. However, prudence in interpreting its clinical meanings should be exercised because the associations seemingly suggested not a substantially significant benefit.

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Insights

Acupuncture may have a positive impact on clinical pregnancy rate and live birth rate in women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF), although the results are limited by the heterogeneity of the current evidence.

This study aimed to assess the efficacy of acupuncture on embryo transfer in women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF). A total of 49 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving 9422 women were analyzed. The results indicated that acupuncture had a significant positive impact on the clinical pregnancy rate (CPR) and live birth rate (LBR) compared to the control groups (odds ratio [OR]=1.65 for CPR, 1.34 for LBR). Subgroup analyses showed that traditional acupuncture was more beneficial for women aged < 35 years, those receiving ≥ 3 sessions, and those with lower baseline CPR rates in the control group. However, significant heterogeneity was observed among the studies. In conclusion, while there were some benefits of acupuncture in improving CPR and LBR in IVF, the results should be interpreted with caution due to the variability in the current evidence.