Table 1 Characteristics of the studies included in this review
Study | Country | Main objective | Acupuncture location | No. randomised | Acupuncture sessions | Acupuncture type | De qi sensation | Controla | IVF outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Andersen 2010 [65] | Denmark | IVF outcome | On-site | 635 | Two sessions: (1) 30 m before ET; (2) immediately after ET (n = 314) | MA | Yes | The Streitberger placebo needlesb placed on the same acupoints which the true acupuncture used (n = 321) | BPR、CPR、OPR、LBR、MR、IR |
Arnoldi 2010 [18] | Italy | IVF outcome | On-site | 204 | Three sessions: (1) d 5 of ovarian stimulation; (2) 30 m before ET; (3) immediately after ET (n = 102) | MA | Yes | No adjuvant treatment (n = 102) | CPR、LBR、MR、IR |
Craig 2014 [59] | USA | IVF outcome | Off-site | 113 | Two sessions: (1) within 1–2 h before ET; (2) within 1–2 h after ET (n = 57) | MA | Yes | No adjuvant treatment (n = 56) | BPR、CPR、LBR、MR |
Dieterle 2006 [15] | Germany | IVF outcome | On-site | 225 | Two sessions: (1) immediately after ET; (2) 3 days after ET (n = 116) | MA | Yes | Needles inserted in real acupoints which were designed not to influence fertility (n = 109) | BPR、CPR、OPR、LBR、MR、IR |
Domar 2009 [29] | USA | IVF outcome | On-site | 150 | Two sessions: (1) 25 m before ET; (2) immediately after ET (n = 78)d | MA | Unclear | No adjuvant treatment (n = 68)d | BPR、CPR |
Feliciani 2011 [62] | Italy | IVF outcome | On-site | 46 | Three sessions: (1) 5–7d before OA; (2) 2–3 d before OA; (3) within 1 h after ET (n = 23) | MA | Yes | No adjuvant treatment (n = 23) | CPR、OPR、LBR、MR、IR |
Gillerman 2016 [58] | UK | IVF outcome | On-site | 127 | Three sessions: (1) between days 6 and 8 of ovarian stimulation; (2) before egg retrieval; (3) before and after embryo transfer (n = 67) | MA | Yes | No adjuvant treatment (n = 60) | CPR |
Ho 2009 [17] | Taiwan | IVF outcome | On-site | 56 | Four sessions: twice a week for 2 weeks, from d2 to the day before oocyte retrieval (n = 30) | EA | Yes | No adjuvant treatment (n = 26)j | CPR |
Humaidan 2004 [69] | Denmark | Pain-relieving effect | On-site | 200 | One session: a few minutes before OA and terminated directly after OA (n = 75) | EA | No | Alfentanil + PCB (n = 100) | BPR、CPR |
Villahermosa 2012 [20] | Brazil | anxiety-relieving efffects | On-site | 43 | Four sessions: once a week over a 4-week period, comprised the whole IVF process from induction of ovulation to the result of β-human chorionic gonadotrophin, the last treatment was given after embryo transfer (n = 22) | MA | Yes | Needles inserted in the sites which close to but not on (n = 21) | CPR |
Villahermosa 2013 [21] | Brazil | IVF outcome | On-site | 84 | Four sessions: (1)D1 (first day of ovulation induction); (2)D7 (seventh day of ovulation induction); (3)on the day before the day of ovarian puncture; (4)on the day after the day of embryo transfer (n = 28) | MA | Yes | Needles inserted in the arm and thigh, which are known not to correspond with classically described acupuncture points (n = 46) | BPR、CPR |
Madaschi 2010 [64] | Brazil | IVF outcome | On-site | 455g | Two sessions: (1) 25 m before ET; (2) immediately after ET (n = 230) | MA | Yes | No adjuvant treatment (n = 225) | CPR、LBR、MR、IR |
Morin 2017 [59] | USA | IVF outcome | On-site | 424 | Two sessions: (1) 25 m before ET; (2) after ET (n = 210)e | MA | Unclear | No adjuvant treatment (n = 210)f | BPR、CPR、OPR、LBR、MR、IR |
Moy 2011 [61] | USA | IVF outcome | On-site | 161 | Two sessions: (1) 25 m before ET; (2) immediately after ET (n = 87) | MA | Yes | Needles inserted in the sites which close to, but not on, the real acupoints (n = 74) | BPR、CPR |
Omodei 2010 [19] | Italy | IVF outcome | On-site | 168h | Two sessions: (1) 25 m before ET; (2) immediately after ET (n = 44)h | MA | Unclear | No adjuvant treatment (n = 124)h | CPR、OPR、LBR、MR |
Paulus 2002 [14] | Germany | IVF outcome | On-site | 160 | Two sessions: (1) 25 m before ET; (2) immediately after ET (n = 80) | MA | Yes | No adjuvant treatment (n = 80) | CPR、OPR、LBR、MR |
Paulus 2003 [71] | Germany | IVF outcome | On-site | 200 | Two sessions: (1) 25 m before ET; (2) immediately after ET (n = 100) | MA | Yes | The Streitberger placebo needlesb placed on the same acupoints which the true acupuncture used (n = 100) | CPR、OPR、LBR、MR |
Peyvandi 2016 [22] | Iran | IVF and FET outcomes | On-site | 164 | Three sessions: (1)oocyte puncture day; (2)2 days after puncture; (3)one cycle before embryo transfer (n = 82) | EA | No | No adjuvant treatment (n = 82) | BPR、CPR、OPR |
Rashidi 2013 [60] | Iran | IVF outcome | On-site | 62 | Five sessions: (1)30 m on the 21st day of the previous cycle (start of downregulation); (2) the first day of stimulation; (3)2 days before OPU; (4) 30 m before ET; (5) immediately after ET (n = 31) | EA | Yes | No adjuvant treatment (n = 31) | BPR、CPR、OPR |
Sator-K 2006 [68] | Australia | Pain-relieving effect | On-site | 94 | One session:30 m before OA and lasted until 1 h after OA (n = 64)i | EA/MA | No | PCA + an adhesive tape over the whole ear connected to the P-Stim™ without electrical stimulation (n = 30) | CPR |
Smith 2006 [67] | Australia | IVF outcome | On-site | 228 | Three sessions: (1) d9 of stimulating injections; (2)25 m before ET; (3) immediately after ET (n = 110) | MA | Yes | The Streitberger placebo needlesb placed close to but not on the real acupuncture points (n = 118) | CPR、OPR |
Smith 2018 [56] | Australia and New Zealand | IVF outcome | On-site at the IVF centers or nearby | 848 | Three sessions: (1) between d6 and d8 of ovarian stimulation; (2) 1 h before ET; (3) immediately after ET (n = 424)k | MA | Yes | Park sham needlesc placed away from known acupuncture points (n = 424)k | |
So 2009 [66] | Hong Kong | IVF outcome | On-site | 370 | Two sessions: (1) 25 m before ET; (2) immediately after ET (n = 185) | MA | Yes | The Streitberger placebo needlesb placed on the same acupoints which the true acupuncture used to give patients a pricking, penetrating sensation (n = 185) | BPR、CPR、OPR、LBR、MR、IR |
So 2010 [63] | Hong Kong | FET outcome | On-site | 226 | One session: immediately after ET (n = 113) | MA | Yes | The Streitberger placebo needlesb placed on the same acupoints which the true acupuncture used to give patients a pricking, penetrating sensation (n = 113) | BPR、CPR、OPR、LBR、MR、IR |
Stener-Victorin 1999 [72] | Sweden | Pain-relieving effect | On-site | 150 | One session: 30 m before OA and terminated directly after OA (n = 75) | EA | Yes | Alfentanil + PCB (n = 75) | CPR、LBR、MR、IR |
Stener-Victorin 2003 [70] | Sweden | IVF outcome | On-site | 286 | One session: 30 m before OA and terminated directly after OA (n = 141) | EA | Yes | Alfentanil + PCB (n = 145) | CPR、OPR、IR |
Westergaard 2006 [16] | Denmark | IVF outcome | On-site | 300 | Acupuncture group 1:Two sessions: (1)25 m before ET; (2)immediatelyafter ET (n = 100); Acupuncture group 2: Three sessions: (1) 25 m before ET; (2)immediately after ET; (3) 2 d after ET (n = 100)i | MA | Yes | No adjuvant treatment (n = 100) | BPR、CPR、OPR、LBR、MR、IR |