Can acupuncture improve IVF?
For many women, in vitro fertilization can be a very stressful time. Such anxiety and depression may, in turn, undermine the chances of success with IVF.
Could acupuncture help? That's the question that Lynn Westphal, MD, assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology, and colleagues are investigating. Previous studies found that acupuncture helps treat anxiety disorders, but this is the first large randomized study of acupuncture during IVF treatment.
"Many of our patients are interested in complementary treatments," Westphal said, "but we do not have good data on the benefit of these other therapies."
The study will look at pregnancy outcomes, endometrial thickness and quality-of-life issues. Patients 42 years old and younger and in their first cycle of IVF treatment will be split into two groups, with half receiving true acupuncture and the rest receiving sham treatments twice weekly for four weeks. Participants will regularly fill out anxiety and depression self-report inventories.
Patients interested in volunteering should call the Stanford Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility Center at 498-7911.
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