Pregnancy benefit of acupuncture on in vitro fertilization: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: The evidence of acupuncture for in vitro fertilization (IVF) remains debatable. Objectives: To evaluate the efficacy of acupuncture on embryo transfer in women undergoing IVF. Search Strategy: PubMed, MEDLINE, Web of Science, EMBASE, CENTRAL, Wanfang, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, VIP were searched up to 6 September 2021. Selection Criteria: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of acupuncture evaluating IVF’s effects were included. Data Collection and Analysis: Clinical pregnancy rate (CPR) and live birth rate (LBR) were quantitatively summarized by the random-effect model. Variations in pooled estimates were examined by subgroup analyses and I2 was measured to quantify statistical heterogeneity. Main Results: Forty-nine eligible RCTs representing 9422 women undergoing IVF for pregnant success were identified. Pooled CPR and LBR showed a significant difference between acupuncture and control groups (odds ratio [OR]=1.65, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.45 to 1.88; OR=1.34, 95% CI: 1.08 to 1.66). Subgroup analysis showed a benefit of traditional acupuncture for women aged < 35 years (CPR: OR=1.57, 95% CI: 1.23 to 2.03; LBR: OR=1.34, 95% CI:1.23 to 1.48), treatment with  3 sessions (CPR: OR=2.37, 95% CI: 1.46 to 3.85; LBR: OR=1.99, 95% CI:1.52 to 2.60), and lower baseline control group rates of CPR (CPR: OR=2.14, 95% CI: 1.22 to 2.13; LBR: OR=2.23, 95% CI:1.07 to 4.62). Heterogeneity across studies were found (CPR: I2=47.4, p <0.001; LBR: I2=62.9, p <0.001). Conclusions: Although benefits of acupuncture in CPR and LBR among IVF women existed, no robust associations were found and which might be limited by the heterogeneity of current evidence