Healthwatch: Study Shows Acupuncture May Help IVF
(WJZ) BALTIMORE Local researchers are trying to find out if acupuncture can improve the odds or pregnancy for infertile couples. Researchers at the University of Maryland Medical Center have launched a study that offers acupuncture to patients undergoing in vitro fertilization.
Sheryl Brandt's 22-month-old daughter, Grace, is the child she dreamed of having, but also worried would never come. During her fourth attempt at in vitro fertilization, Brandt enrolled in a small study that combined IVF with acupuncture.
"We had decided we do one more attempt and if we got pregnant great, but if not, we would be our own family," Brandt tells WJZ Eyewitness News.
Some of the other studies show that acupuncture could potentially improve blood flow to the uterus, help patients relax, and could have bearing on pregnancy success rate with IVF.
A pilot study at the University of Maryland Medical Center will help researchers learn more. Sixty women undergoing IVF will be divided into two groups, half of whom will get real acupuncture and half who won't. Doctors will monitor patients closely for changes in blood flow.
"As we place an embryo in the uterus, if there's good blood flow, the lining is healthier, more receptive to the embryo implanting and producing pregnancy," says University of Maryland Medical Center Dr. Laurence Udoff.
Brandt isn't certain acupuncture helped her get pregnant, but decided to try it again after Grace's birth. During her IVF cycle she received acupuncture and is now pregnant with her second child.
Patients in the study receive acupuncture four times during the cycle. To enroll in the study call 410-328-2304.
Sheryl Brandt's 22-month-old daughter, Grace, is the child she dreamed of having, but also worried would never come. During her fourth attempt at in vitro fertilization, Brandt enrolled in a small study that combined IVF with acupuncture.
"We had decided we do one more attempt and if we got pregnant great, but if not, we would be our own family," Brandt tells WJZ Eyewitness News.
Some of the other studies show that acupuncture could potentially improve blood flow to the uterus, help patients relax, and could have bearing on pregnancy success rate with IVF.
A pilot study at the University of Maryland Medical Center will help researchers learn more. Sixty women undergoing IVF will be divided into two groups, half of whom will get real acupuncture and half who won't. Doctors will monitor patients closely for changes in blood flow.
"As we place an embryo in the uterus, if there's good blood flow, the lining is healthier, more receptive to the embryo implanting and producing pregnancy," says University of Maryland Medical Center Dr. Laurence Udoff.
Brandt isn't certain acupuncture helped her get pregnant, but decided to try it again after Grace's birth. During her IVF cycle she received acupuncture and is now pregnant with her second child.
Patients in the study receive acupuncture four times during the cycle. To enroll in the study call 410-328-2304.
posted by Volatto at 7:06 AM
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