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Hum. Reprod. Advance Access first published online on October 21, 2008
This version published online on November 12, 2008
Human Reproduction, doi:10.1093/humrep/den380
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© The Author 2008. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

A randomized double blind comparison of real and placebo acupuncture in IVF treatment

Emily Wing Sze So, Ernest Hung Yu Ng1, Yu Yeuk Wong, Estella Yee Lan Lau, William Shu Biu Yeung and Pak Chung Ho

Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China

1 Correspondence address. Tel: +852-28553400; Fax: +852-28175374; E-mail: nghye{at}hkucc.hku.hk

BACKGROUND: Acupuncture has been used during IVF treatment as it may improve outcome, however, there are concerns about the true efficacy of this approach. This randomized double blind study aimed to compare real acupuncture with placebo acupuncture in patients undergoing IVF treatment.

METHODS: On the day of embryo transfer (ET), 370 patients were randomly allocated to either real or placebo acupuncture according to a computer-generated randomization list in sealed opaque envelopes. They received 25 min of real or placebo acupuncture before and after ET. The endometrial and subendometrial vascularity, serum cortisol concentration and the anxiety level were evaluated before and after real and placebo acupuncture.

RESULTS: The overall pregnancy rate was significantly higher in the placebo acupuncture group than that in the real acupuncture group (55.1 versus 43.8%, respectively, P = 0.038; Common odds ratio 1.578 95% confidence interval 1.047–2.378). No significant differences were found in rates of ongoing pregnancy and live birth between the two groups. Reduction of endometrial and subendometrial vascularity, serum cortisol concentration and the anxiety level were observed following both real and placebo acupuncture, although there were no significant differences in the changes in all these indices between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONS: Placebo acupuncture was associated with a significantly higher overall pregnancy rate when compared with real acupuncture. Placebo acupuncture may not be inert. Trial registered with HKClinicalTrials.com: number HKCTR-236.

Key words: acupuncture/IVF/pregnancy rate

Submitted on July 21, 2008; resubmitted on September 22, 2008; accepted on September 25, 2008.


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