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The trial aims to investigate whether acupuncture has an effect in increasing clinical pregnancy (pregnancy that is confirmed by a scan) and live birth rates on women undergoing IVF treatment.
Failing to conceive naturally poses significant stress to the infertile couple. It creates a feeling of failure and frustration. It has been found that the use of complementary therapies makes women feel empowered, with a sense of regaining control of the body.
The popularity of acupuncture is increasing. A significant proportion of couples having fertility treatment, especially IVF (In-Vitro Fertilisation) ask their clinician about using acupuncture and some patients undergo acupuncture privately without reporting to their clinicians.
The effectiveness of acupuncture on IVF has been extensively researched; however the results are varied and not conclusive. This is due to previous studies varying significantly in their study design, acupuncture timing and the final outcome measure. As a result of the difference in the studies it is not clear whether acupuncture is beneficial regarding IVF success rates and whether it should be offered to women undergoing IVF.
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| Label | Type | Description | Intervention Names |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acupuncture | Active Comparator | These patients received acupuncture during the follicular development phase and on the day of egg collection. |
|
| Control | No Intervention | Patients received standard care, no acupuncture. |
| Name | Type | Description | Arm Group Labels | Other Names |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| acupuncture | Procedure | patients received a Delphi acupuncture at least 3 times during their fertility treatment cycle. |
|
| Measure | Description | Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
| Live birth rate | The primary objective is to determine the clinical effectiveness of acupuncture in improving live birth rates in women undergoing IVF | 18 months |
| Measure | Description | Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
| Clinical pregnancy rate | The secondary objective is to determine whether acupuncture improves clinical pregnancy rate | 18 months |
| Multiple pregnancy | To determine whether there is an increased rate of multiple pregnancy |
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Inclusion Criteria:
Exclusion Criteria:
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| Name | Affiliation | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Karin Gillerman | NHS Honorary Contract | Principal Investigator |
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| ID | Term |
|---|---|
| D007246 | Infertility |
| ID | Term |
|---|---|
| D000091662 | Genital Diseases |
| D000091642 | Urogenital Diseases |
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| ID | Term |
|---|---|
| D015670 | Acupuncture Therapy |
| ID | Term |
|---|---|
| D000529 | Complementary Therapies |
| D013812 | Therapeutics |
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| 9 months |
| Quality of life | To examine the effect of acupuncture on improving the quality of life for women by means of EQ% quality of life questionnaires | 9 months |