Effectiveness of Acupuncture on In Vitro Fertilization Techniques: Systematic Review and Metanalysis

Abstract

Objectives

The main goal of this article is to determine the influence of acupuncture in IVF by searching randomized controlled trials —published between 2007 and 2017— and carrying out a meta-analysis of the results.

Material and method

This bibliographical revision includes studies that describe random or quasi-random monitored clinical tests on acupuncture and IVF, published between 2007 and 2017. The studies were selected from the following databases: CINAHL, COCHRANE, PUBMED, CUIDEN plus, ENFISPO, CSIC, LILACS. These studies compare the use acupuncture with placebo, sham treatment or none intervention. Traditional and modern acupuncture are both included. The source of stimulation may be manual using thin needles, moxibustion with hot needles, or electrical stimulation. The effects of acupuncture over pregnancy rates will be evaluated as the main variable, whereas the number of alive newborns, high quality embryos, and natural miscarriages, as well as the secondary effects produced by acupuncture, will be considered as secondary variables.

Results

14 essays with a total of 21.860 women were included in this article; 6 were excluded. The analysis of the results shows that the effect over the pregnancy rates is 4,49% in favor of acupuncture.

Conclusions

The main limitation of this bibliographical revision is the heterogeneity in the design of the different studies and the difficulty in establishing a valid placebo (sham acupuncture), which makes some of the results questionable. This revision concludes that acupuncture, specially during the ovarian stimulation process, could improve the pregnancy rates in women undergoing an IVF treatment.