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Trials
Published in: Trials 1/2012

Open Access 01-12-2012 | Study protocol

Acupuncture to improve live birth rates for women undergoing in vitro fertilization: a protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Authors: Caroline A Smith, Sheryl de Lacey, Michael Chapman, Julie Ratcliffe, Robert J Norman, Neil Johnson, Gavin Sacks, Jane Lyttleton, Clare Boothroyd

Published in: Trials | Issue 1/2012

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Abstract

Background

IVF is a costly treatment option for women, their partners, and the public. Therefore new therapies that improve reproductive and health outcomes are highly desirable. There is a growing body of research evaluating the effect of acupuncture administered during IVF, and specifically on the day of embryo transfer (ET). Many trials are heterogeneous and results inconsistent. There remains insufficient evidence to determine if acupuncture can enhance live birth rates when used as an adjunct to IVF treatment.
The study will determine the clinical effectiveness of acupuncture with improving the proportion of women undergoing IVF having live births. Other objectives include: determination of the cost effectiveness of IVF with acupuncture; and examination of the personal and social context of acupuncture in IVF patients, and examining the reasons why the acupuncture may or may not have worked.

Methods

We will conduct a randomized controlled trial of acupuncture compared to placebo acupuncture.
Inclusion criteria include: women aged less than 43 years; undergoing a fresh IVF or ICSI cycle; and restricted to women with the potential for a lower live birth rate defined as two or more previous unsuccessful ETs; and unsuccessful clinical pregnancies of quality embryos deemed by the embryologist to have been suitable for freezing by standard criteria. Women will be randomized to acupuncture or placebo acupuncture. Treatment is administered on days 6 to 8 of the stimulated cycle and two treatments on the day of ET. A non-randomized cohort of women not using acupuncture will be recruited to the study. The primary study outcome is the proportion of women reporting a live birth. Secondary outcomes include the proportion of women reporting a clinical pregnancy miscarriage prior to 12 weeks, quality of life, and self-efficacy. The sample size of the study is 1,168 women, with the aim of detecting a 7% difference in live births between groups (P = 0.05, 80% power).

Discussion

There remains a need for further research to add significant new knowledge to defining the exact role of certain acupuncture protocols in the management of infertility requiring IVF from a clinical and cost-effectiveness perspective.

Clinical Trial Registration

Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry ACTRN12611000226909
Appendix
Available only for authorised users
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Metadata
Title
Acupuncture to improve live birth rates for women undergoing in vitro fertilization: a protocol for a randomized controlled trial
Authors
Caroline A Smith
Sheryl de Lacey
Michael Chapman
Julie Ratcliffe
Robert J Norman
Neil Johnson
Gavin Sacks
Jane Lyttleton
Clare Boothroyd
Publication date
01-12-2012
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
Trials / Issue 1/2012
Electronic ISSN: 1745-6215
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1745-6215-13-60

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