Can acupuncture help women who Can't get pregnant after multiple IVF attempts?

NCT ID NCT07669623

Symptom relief Sponsor: Cui Hong Zheng Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Aug 27, 2026 · Updated 5 times

Summary

This study tests whether different acupuncture techniques can increase pregnancy rates in women who have had at least two failed embryo transfers. 312 women aged 20-40 will be randomly assigned to receive either placebo needles, indwelling intradermal needles, or a combination of fire needle and regular acupuncture. The main goal is to see if any method leads to a detectable pregnancy on ultrasound.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance: acupuncture (nonpenetrating placebo needles, indwelling intradermal needles, fire needle plus regular acupuncture)
What this could lead to: If successful, this could offer a safe, non-drug option to improve pregnancy chances for women who have repeatedly failed embryo transfers.
What could go wrong: This is an early-stage trial with no phase, so results are uncertain. Acupuncture effects can be hard to measure, and the placebo group may also show benefits.

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Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

About 312 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Expected to start

Sep 2026

An estimate. Start dates often move.

Expected to finish

Jun 2029

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

Up to 39 years

Sex

Female participants only

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: 1. Meets the criteria for RIF diagnosis (≥ 3 instances of unsuccessful transfer of high-quality embryos). 2. Age: \< 40 years. 3. Planning for a cycle involving the transfer of frozen-thawed embryos (FET). 4. Possession of a transplantable frozen blastocyst (≥3BB). 5. Endometrial thickness \>7 mm within the period of endometrial transformation. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Individuals planning to undergo preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD). 2. Recipients of egg donations. 3. Chromosomal abnormalities in either spouse or one partner (excluding chromosomal polymorphisms). 4. Patients with known embryo-related factors leading to implantation failure. 5. Abnormalities of the uterus that may affect implantation (including uterine malformations, uterine tuberculosis, submucosal myomas, severe uterine adhesions, severe uterine endometriosis, myomas with a diameter of ≥4 cm, and so on). 6. Those with significant abnormalities in immunity or coagulation. 7. Individuals with other endocrine disorders, such as thyroid disorders, hyperprolactinemia, insulin resistance, diabetes, and adrenal disorders, whose hormone levels have not been well-controlled over the past 3 months. 8. Individuals with untreated hydrosalpinx; 9. Individuals with a Body Mass Index (BMI) below 18 and above 25 kg/ m2. 10. Men with severe abnormalities in semen quality. 11. Individuals with a history of needle phobia. 12. Individuals who have previously participated in this study or received acupuncture treatment within the past three months; 13. Any other conditions deemed unsuitable for participation by the researchers.

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As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Implantation failure

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

The places running it

1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
The official record

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Can acupuncture help women who Can't get pregnant after multiple IVF attempts?

What the study statuses mean