The Effect Of Acupuncture On Clinical Pregnancy In Women Undergoing In Vitro Fertilization-embryo Transfer

ObjectiveTo compare the effects of acupuncture combined with IVF-ET and IVF-ET alone on pregnancy in infertility patients and to provide clinical evidence for acupuncture intervention in IVF-ET.MethodPatients who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria were randomly divided into an acupuncture group(30 cases)and conventional IVF-ET group(30 cases),following a random number scale.Subjects in the acupuncture treatment group received acupuncture treatment during controlled ovarian hyperstimulation,the day after oocyte retrieval,and on the day of fresh embryo transfer.The IVF-ET process was performed in both group.The primary outcomes refers to clinical pregnancy.The second outcomes refers to biochemical pregnancy,number of oocyte retrieved,number of normal fertilizations,normal fertilization rate,fresh embryo transfer rate,and serum hormone levels(estradiol,progesterone,follicle stimulating hormone)levels on the trigger day.The correlation between the baseline characteristics of the subjects(age,years of infertility,body mass index,anti-Müllerian hormone)and the number of eggs retrieved and the number of normal fertilization was also investigated.Result1.A total of 60 patients were enrolled in this trial.One subject(unable to transfer fresh embryo)in the acupuncture treatment group was excluded for analysis.No subjects dropped off in the trial and no serious adverse events occurred.Finally,29 cases in the acupuncture treatment group and 30 cases in the conventional protocol group were included in the analysis.2.There was no significant differences of the baseline characteristics(demographic characteristics,history of infertility,basal sex hormones in serum)in acupuncture group and conventional treatment group(P>0.05).3.The clinical pregnancy rate in the acupuncture treatment group(20.7%)was higher than that in the conventional treatment group(6.7%)without significant difference(P>0.05).The biochemical pregnancy rate in the acupuncture treatment group(31.0%)was higher than that in the conventional treatment group(16.7%)without significant difference(P>0.05).4.The number of oocyte obtained,the number of normal fertilization between acupuncture treatment group and conventional protocol group were not statistically different(P>0.05);the normal fertilization rate and fresh embryo transfer rate in the acupuncture treatment group was significantly higher than that in the conventional regimen group(P<0.05).5.There was no significant difference in the comparison of serum estradiol,progesterone,and follicle-stimulating hormone levels between groups on the trigger day(P>0.05).6.There was a significant negative correlation between age and the number of oocyte gained and normal fertilization in patients(P<0.05);a significant symptomatic correlation between anti-Müllerian hormone and the number of oocyte gained and normal fertilization in patients(P<0.05);and a significant negative correlation between the number of years of infertility and the number of eggs gained in patients(P<0.05).ConclusionAcupuncture has some advantages in improving clinical pregnancy,biochemical pregnancy rate,fresh embryo transfer rate,and normal fertilization rate of embryos in IVF-ET patients.As a treatment with no significant adverse effects,acupuncture has the potential to improve IVF-ET pregnancy outcomes in infertility patients and has a good future.