PREGNANCY HOPES : Acupuncture beats fertility medications when it comes to helping women fall pregna
The alternative treatment doubles the chances of a woman falling pregnant compared to the medication
WOULD-BE mums should consider acupuncture with a recent study finding the treatment is better at helping women fall pregnant than fertility drugs.
The alternative treatment was compared to popular drugs used to boost ovulation with scientists finding acupuncture increased the chance of pregnancy to 43.3 per cent compared to 20 per cent through the medication.
Dr Zhiguang Hu, who led the research conducted at the Mawangdui Hospital of Hunan Province in China, said: "One important mechanism responsible for the fertility treatment success with acupuncture is hormonal regulation. "And the study confirms that acupuncture normalises prolactin levels more rapidly than receiving fertility medications. "
The study, published in the Journal of Clinical Acupuncture, examined 60 female patients who were struggling to conceive due to hyperprolactinemia, a condition where there are higher levels of the hormone prolactinnormal in the blood.
The hormone can disrupt a woman's menstrual cycle and can cause problems in reproducing.
UK expert Dr Luciano Nardo, a consultant gynaecologist and specialist in reproductive medicine, said acupuncture could be beneficial for patients