Most IVF ‘add-on’ treatments have no effect on fertility or remain unproven, study says

Review shows majority of procedures offered alongside standard IVF not backed by reliable evidence

Most IVF “add-on” treatments sold to people hoping to boost their chances of having children are not backed by reliable evidence, fail to boost fertility and may be a complete waste of money, the largest study of its kind has concluded.

There has been a surge in extra procedures, medicines or techniques offered to patients in addition to standard IVF with bold claims they will increase the probability of success. Take-up is widespread, with more than 70% of IVF patients in the UK, Australia and New Zealand paying for one or more add-on during IVF treatment.

Acupuncture – inserting thin needles into points on the body.

Corticosteroids – medication to reduce inflammation and suppress immune system activity.

Endometrial receptivity testing – a biopsy of the uterine lining to assess gene expression patterns.

Intralipid infusion – a liquid containing fats that is administered into the blood.

Intraovarian injection of platelet-rich plasma – injecting platelet-rich plasma into the ovaries.

Intrauterine infusion of platelet-rich plasma – insertion of platelet-rich plasma into the uterus.

Pre-implantation genetic testing for aneuploidy – a screening test to check whether embryos have the expected number of chromosomes.

EmbryoGlue – an embryo transfer medium containing hyaluronic acid. The evidence review found it may increase the probability of pregnancy and live birth; however, the effect on live birthrates was not robust.

Endometrial scratching – a minor procedure undertaken to scratch or disturb the lining of the uterus. The review found this may increase the probability of pregnancy and live birth.

Physiological intracytoplasmic sperm injection (PICSI) – a technique used to select sperm based on their ability to bind to hyaluronic acid. There was weak evidence this may lower the risk of miscarriage.