Acupuncture needles aim to boost IVF success in women with repeated failure
NCT ID NCT07486297
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 26, 2026
Summary
This study tests whether acupuncture can increase pregnancy rates in women who have had multiple failed embryo transfers (recurrent implantation failure). 208 women aged 20-40 will receive either real indwelling intradermal needles or placebo non-penetrating needles before their frozen embryo transfer. The main goal is to see if more women achieve a clinical pregnancy with acupuncture.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- acupuncture (indwelling intradermal needles or non-penetrating placebo needles)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a simple, low-risk way to improve pregnancy chances for women who have repeatedly failed embryo transfers.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-stage trial with only 208 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The placebo group uses non-penetrating needles, which may still have a psychological effect, making it hard to prove real benefit.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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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
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About 208 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Jun 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Jun 2028
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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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
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20 to 40 years
- Sex
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Female participants only
- Healthy volunteers
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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 Hide 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 (≥ 2 instances of unsuccessful transfer of high-quality embryos). 2. Age: 20 to 40 years old. 3. Planning for a cycle involving the transfer of frozen-thawed embryos (FET). 4. Possession of a transplantable D3 frozen embryo (≥6 cells) or a frozen blastocyst (≥3BC). 5. Estradiol-progesterone replacement therapy: 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. Recurrent spontaneous abortions (loss of a fetus before 28 weeks of gestation occurring twice or more). 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. Individuals with a history of needle phobia.
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As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology
Wuhan, Hubei, 430030, China
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