TITLE:
Adjuvant acupuncture reduces first trimester pregnancy loss after IVF
AUTHORS:
Naseem M. Khorram, Susan Horton, Vicken Sahakian, Richard Chacon, Omid Khorram
KEYWORDS:
Acupuncture; IVF/ICSI; Pregnancy Rates; Implantation Rate; Miscarriage
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology,
Vol.2 No.3,
September
7,
2012
ABSTRACT: Background: The objective of this study was to determine the effects of acupuncture treatment as an adjunctive therapy on the outcome of in vitro fertilization (IVF)/Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI). Material/Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of 238 patients who underwent conventional IVF/ ICSI alone or in conjunction with acupuncture over a course of 2 years. Patients in the two treatment groups were matched in terms of age and diagnosis. Acupuncture was administered in two sessions 5 to 7 days prior to and on the day of embryo transfer. Results: There were no differences between the two groups in terms of fertilization rate, pregnancy or implantation rates, and endometrial thickness. The number of oocytes retrieved (P