Table 1.
General Information on the 6 Cases
| Case # | Gender (age) | Clinical findings | ART offered initially | ART after TCM Tx | Tx type acupuncture/herbs | Length of Tx course | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Female (29) | Infertility | IVF | IUI | Acupuncture & herbal pills | 3 months | Live birth of a boy |
| 2 | Female (34) | PCOS | IVF with ICSI | ICSI | Acupuncture & herbal powder | 5 months | Live birth of a boy |
| Male (37) | Sperm disorder | Herbal pills | |||||
| 3 | Female (36) | DOR | Refused | IVF | Acupuncture & herbal decoction | 12 months | Live birth of a girl |
| 4 | Female (49) | Blocked fallopian tube & premenopause | Refused after 2 failed IVF cycles | IVF | Acupuncture & herbal pills | 6 months | Live birth of a boy |
| 5 | Female (27) | Blocked fallopian tubes | 3 failed IVF cycles | IVF | Acupuncture & herbal powders | 24 months | Live birth a triplets (1 boy & 2 girls) |
| Male (35) | Sperm disorder | Herbal pills | |||||
| 6 | Female (41) | POI & miscarriage | Refused | IVF with donor egg | Acupuncture & herbal decoction | 3 months | Live birth of a boy and a girl in 2 years; followed by a fertilized embryo transferred again |
ART, assisted reproductive technology; TCM, Traditional Chinese Medicine; Tx, treatment; PCOS, polycystic ovary syndrome; DOR, diminished ovarian reserve; POI, primary ovarian insufficiency; IVF, in vitro fertilization; ICSI, introcytoplasmic sperm injection.