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The effect of nasal oxytocin on pregnancy rates following intrauterine insemination: double-blind, randomized, clinical pilot study

Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics volume 281, pages 753–759 (2010)Cite this article

Abstract

Purpose

We tested the hypothesis that the application of intranasal oxytocin (8 IU) following intrauterine insemination (IUI) would increase pregnancy rates, without causing major side effects.

Methods

Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study: eighty-six couples with idiopathic infertility, polycystic ovary syndrome and/or male sub-fertility treated with 132 homologous IUI cycles with nasal application of placebo or 8 IU oxytocin following IUI.

Results

In 132 IUI cycles of 86 women, 17 pregnancies were achieved, accounting for a pregnancy rate of 12.9% (17/132) per IUI cycle. The pregnancy rates were 13.4% (9/67) per IUI cycle in the placebo group, and 12.3% (8/65) per IUI cycle in the oxytocin group, the difference not being statistically significant. No relevant side effects were observed in both groups.

Conclusions

Intranasal application of 8 IU oxytocin has no major side effects but at the same time did not affect pregnancy rates after IUI in our population. This study does not exclude that a larger patient group, a different time interval between oxytocin application and IUI, higher or multiple oxytocin applications or a different mode of application would have achieved different effects on pregnancy rates.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to Heidi Ritzerfeld and Katharina-Barbara Linke (Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Campus Grosshadern, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany) for their expert technical assistance and to Dr. Markus Möschl (Pharmacy Department, Campus Grosshadern, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany) for preparation of the nasal sprays and blinding and to Dr. Alexander Crispin and Prof. Jutta Engel (Department of Medical Informatics, Biometrics and Epidemiology, Munich, Germany) for statistical support and Dr. Margarita Summerer-Moustaki for language editing.

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Campus Grosshadern, Marchioninistrasse 15, 81377, Munich, Germany

    Robert Ochsenkühn, Roman Pavlik, Stephanie Hecht, Viktoria von Schönfeldt, Nina Rogenhofer & Christian J. Thaler

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  1. Robert Ochsenkühn
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  2. Roman Pavlik
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  3. Stephanie Hecht
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  4. Viktoria von Schönfeldt
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  5. Nina Rogenhofer
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  6. Christian J. Thaler
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Correspondence to Robert Ochsenkühn.

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Ochsenkühn, R., Pavlik, R., Hecht, S. et al. The effect of nasal oxytocin on pregnancy rates following intrauterine insemination: double-blind, randomized, clinical pilot study. Arch Gynecol Obstet 281, 753–759 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-009-1284-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-009-1284-9

Keywords

  • Infertility
  • Intranasal
  • Intrauterine insemination
  • Oxytocin
  • Pregnancy rate