Fertility specialists have disclosed that acupuncture is not helpful in raising the chances of getting pregnant through IVF.

Before publishing the new guidance, professionals at the British Fertility Society examined 14 trials involving 2,670 people.

"All the trials involved acupuncture, in which needles were inserted into different areas of the body at different stages in the in vitro fertilisation (IVF) cycle," the report said.

After examinations, the researchers discovered that no matter at what phase of the process acupuncture was used, it had no impact on the gestation or live birth rate.

The researchers did however also uncover it had no harm, with no difference in miscarriage rates.

There were no published examinations on the use of Chinese herbaceous plants that were rigorous enough for inclusion, so the group concluded that there was "presently no proof to support the use of this in fertility treatments".

Professor Adam Balen, head of BFS's policy and practice committee, stated: "Any future randomised controlled trials in this area need to ensure that they use a standardized acupuncture method, have a large sample size and include adequate controls to account for any placebo effects."

Dr. Xiao-Ping Zhai, of The Zhai Fertility Treatment Clinic, said: "Certainly for those with unexplained fertility problems in particular, we know acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine can be beneficial. What matters is both the expertise and experience of the practitioner, but most of all the treatment of the patient as an individual. It is the tailored treatment which is key. We need clinical trials that take this into account."

A report from the British Acupuncture Council stated, "Fertility focused acupuncture treatment has been found to help increase blood flow to the reproductive organs, balance hormone levels, regulate the menstrual cycle and help improve the lining of the uterus and quality of eggs released. (With Input from Agencies)