Acupuncture to improve IVF pregnancy chances for women with repeated implantation failure

Is this trial a fit for you?

A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.

What this trial studies

This randomized, placebo-controlled multicenter trial in China randomly assigns eligible women to one of three groups: acupuncture plus IVF, sham acupuncture plus IVF, or IVF alone. Participants are married women aged 25–40 with unexplained repeated implantation failure and at least transferable frozen embryos, undergoing an HRT cycle with endometrial thickness ≥7 mm. The intervention involves in-person acupuncture sessions around embryo transfer at participating centers, with clinical pregnancy outcomes compared across groups. Major exclusions include recipients of donor eggs, couples with chromosomal abnormalities, known embryonic causes of implantation failure, significant uterine lesions, preparation for PGD, or recurrent spontaneous abortion.

Why it matters

Who can join: the full rules

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Married women aged 25-40;
2. Repeated implantation failure for unknown reasons (experienced 2 or more embryo transfers of good-quality embryos without achieving clinical pregnancy);
3. Transplantable Day 3 high-quality frozen embryos or frozen blastocysts (≥3BB);
4. Estrogen and progesterone replacement therapy (HRT), endometrial thickness ≥7mm on the day of endometrial transformation.

Exclusion Criteria:

Patients who met any of the following conditions were not included.

1. Those who prepare for PGD;
2. Recipients of egg donors;
3. Chromosomal abnormalities in both or one of the couples (excluding chromosome polymorphism);
4. patients with implantation failure due to known embryonic factors;
5. Uterine lesions that may affect implantation (including uterine malformation, \>4cm intramural fibroids，submucosal fibroids, adenomyosis, uterine tuberculosis, intrauterine adhesions, etc.
6. Repeated spontaneous abortion (2 or more fetal loss before 28 weeks of gestation);
7. Patients with other endocrine diseases, such as thyroid disease, hyperprolactinemia, insulin resistance, diabetes, adrenal disease, etc., and poor control of hormone levels in the last 3 months;
8. Clearly diagnosed autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, antiphospholipid syndrome, etc.;
9. Hydrosalpinx untreated;
10. BMI less than 18 or higher than 25kg/m2;
11. People with previous history of needle sickness;
12. Those who have previously participated in this study or received acupuncture treatment in the past 3 months.
13. Any situation that researchers consider inappropriate for participating in this study.

Where it's running

• Tongji Hospital,Tongji medical college,HUST
  Wuhan, Hubei, China Recruiting

Study contacts

• Principal investigator: Minming Zhang, professor — Huazhong University of Science and Technology
• Study coordinator: Cuihong Zheng, professor
• Email: chzheng@tjh.tjmu.edu.cn
• Phone: 86-27-83663275

Similar studies

Other studies for the same condition or treatment. Recruiting studies are listed first.

• Using Platelet-rich Plasma to Improve Female Fertility

  This study is testing whether injections of platelet-rich plasma can help improve fertility in women dealing with issues like poor ovarian response and repeated implantation failure.

  Recruiting The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine · Yiwu, Zhejiang · NCT06645379

• Immune profiling to identify biomarkers in women with repeated implantation failure or unexplained recurrent miscarriage

  This study tests immune-system blood biomarkers in women with repeated implantation failure or unexplained recurrent miscarriage to see if immune imbalances can explain their pregnancy losses.

  Recruiting Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, Amiens · Amiens, Picardie · NCT05648136

• Using NMN to Improve Embryo Development in IVF Patients

  This study is testing if taking a supplement called NMN can help improve embryo development and success rates for women aged 32-42 who have had repeated IVF failures.

  Recruiting Sunkaky Medical Cooperation · Osaka, Osaka · NCT06629636

How to take part

1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
2. Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
3. Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.