New research says that women who combine their infertility treatments with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) may have better luck at conceiving a child.

Researchers from Tel Aviv University in Israel found that 65.5% of their participants who received both TMC and intrauterine insemination (IUI), a form of infertility treatment, conceived versus 39.4% who were given IUI alone.

Dr. Shahar Lev-Ari and Keren Sela of TAU’s Sackler Faculty of Medicine performed this retroactive study on 123 women who were undergoing IUI infertility treatments. During the course of the IUI treatments, in which the partner’s or donor’s sperm is injected directly into the uterus of the woman, 29 of these women were also receiving weekly TCM treatments as well. The TMC treatments included weekly acupuncture sessions as well as regimes of Chinese herbal remedies, which consisted of powdered or raw Chinese herbs such as PeoniaAlbae and Chuanxiong adjusted in doses to meet the woman’s needs.

At the end of the study the researchers were surprised to find that not only did the women in the combined group have a significantly higher conception rate – but they also had a higher birth rate of healthy babies. However, what made the results even more surprising, was the age differences between the groups.

“The average age of the women in the study group was 39.4, while that of the control group was 37.1. Normally, the older the mother, the lower the pregnancy and delivery rates,” explain Dr. Lev-Ari and Sela in their report.

The researchers speculate that infertility treatments are enhanced by TCM due to the beliefs that TCM improves uterine blood flow, regulates menstrual cycles, and reduces stress. However, given the small size of the study further follow-up testing is needed before official recommendations can be made. There is currently no supported research as to whether TMC combined with other types of infertility treatments, such as women using egg donors, is beneficial.

This study was published in the Journal of Integrative Medicine.