London, March 11: While acupuncture or Chinese herbal medicine had long been thought to be effective in increasing the chances of conception through IVF, a new study voices doubt about the belief.
Previous studies had reported that acupuncture or Chinese herbal medicine improve blood flow and subsequently increase the chance of an embryo implanting. Many infertile couples were therefore advised to use the therapy in different stages of the in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycle.
“Fertility focused acupuncture treatment has been found to help increase blood flow to the reproductive organs, balance hormone levels, regulate the menstrual cycle and help improve the lining of the uterus and quality of eggs released,” said a statement from the British Acupuncture Council.
According to the study published in Human Fertility, such complementary therapies do not boost the chance of having a baby. They, similarly, were not associated with an increased risk of experiencing a miscarriage.
“Infertile women have been misled for some time now to think that traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) can help them getting pregnant. This analysis shows two things very clearly: the totality of the acupuncture trials does not support this notion, and for Chinese herbs, we have no evidence at all,” said Professor Edzard Ernst of Pensinsula Medical School.
—–Agencies